Finding Home
by RRyanForever
Summary: Sequel to Crossing the Bridge. First season family's struggle to bond is further complicated. Reedited on October 7, 2007.
1. Misunderstanding

Author's Note: Curious about what's happening in this story? To understand what is going on, you need to read the prequel to this, "Crossing the Bridge", first.

* * *

"Oh, come on, Mac. It's been weeks." Richie said, a slight whine evident in his voice. Not that he completely hated Duncan's doting, but there were acceptable limits and the man had gone past them.

Duncan, however, was not exactly swayed. "A week and a half, Richie. It's been a week and a half."

"Whatever." Richie replied with a roll of his eyes. "The point is I'm fine now."

"I know." Duncan told him flatly.

Earning him a suspicious look. "So I can go?"

"I told you already, Rich. You aren't going." The Immortal replied seriously.

This response thoroughly frustrated the teen. "Why?"

"You're too young." Duncan told him.

Once again, Richie rolled his eyes. It was a completely illogical argument in his mind. And one the Immortal had taken to using far too often. "Come on. It's not like I've never gone before."

"You were too young then, too." The man replied patiently.

Richie, however, far from reflected the Immortal's calm demeanor. "Geez, Mac. Lighten up. It's just a concert."

"In Detroit." Duncan responded.

Richie replied quickly. "I'll pay for everything myself."

"That's not the point and you know it." The Immortal's patience was slowly wearing away.

Richie's patience, on the other hand, was completely gone. "I've been to Michigan before, Mac. I promise not to get lost."

"Richie, just stop it." Duncan told him tiredly; he was in no mood to argue about it any further. It wasn't like there was a point, really. The teen wasn't going to change his mind. "You're not going out of town by yourself and you know it."

"I wouldn't be by myself." Richie began.

The uncharacteristic eye roll that Duncan gave him stopped the teen mid-argument.

"Whatever." The Immortal used one of Richie's favorite words. "You're not going out of town without responsible adult supervision. Happy?"

"No." The teen replied.

Duncan had set himself up for that response. How had he not seen that? "Richie, stop being ridiculous. You knew there was no way I was going to let you go even before you asked. If you want to go to a concert, you're just going to have to pick a band playing locally."

"What am I supposed to say to my friends?" Richie asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Duncan was not sympathetic to the plight. "How about, 'I'm 15, what kind of idiots are you, thinking I could go'?"

"Mac." Richie dragged out the man's name in a way that made it seem much longer than was natural.

Duncan tried again. "How about just going with the truth; 'my dad said no'?"

"Right." Richie replied sarcastically, glaring at the Immortal. When Duncan simply shrugged and turned his attention back to the day's receipts, Richie threw up his hands in frustration. "Fine, I'm going to go call them."

As he turned on his heels, the Immortal's voice stopped his exit. "Tessa's on the phone. Long distance."

Taking a deep breath, Richie turned back to him. "May I use the store phone?"

"Sure." Duncan replied, getting up from his desk to allow the teen the privacy he needed to complain about his how impossible the man was. "Be off in time for dinner."

As the teen flopped down in his chair, Duncan simply patted him on the back before walking out of the room. He fervently hoped the boy's pouting would be short-lived. He was really hoping for a pleasant dinner.

* * *

The smell of cigarette smoke was his first hint that his desire for a pleasant meal was unrealistic.

"Tessa?" He called into the room. When the woman emerged from the bedroom, phone in one hand and cigarette in the other, he knew immediately that she was not exactly bonding with her mother.

When Tessa disappeared back into the bedroom after providing only a frazzled look, Duncan decided to start dinner himself. Maybe he could brighten her mood.

* * *

"Wednesday? As in the day after tomorrow?" Duncan questioned.

Tessa was in no mood to be questioned. "Yes. The day after tomorrow."

"They couldn't have given you a bit more warning?" Duncan replied.

It brought up a very sore topic. "According to mother, she didn't want to tell me too early because I would have found an excuse to get out of it."

Despite knowing it was true, Duncan was still not impressed. "I cannot believe she expects you to fly to France on two days notice."

"Us." Tessa said, practically under her breath.

Taken aback would be a mild description of Duncan's response. "What?"

"I told you, it's a family event. A really affair. You're coming with me, Duncan MacLeod." Tessa told him.

"Tessa, you can't seriously expect me to..." Duncan began.

His argument was quickly interrupted. "I do. We've been together for 12 years, Duncan. You are going to have to face my family again at some point. It might as well be now."

"Did they even ask if I was coming with you?" The man questioned, darkening over the sore topic that was Tessa's family.

"That isn't the point. They don't really know you. They need the chance to spend time with you. They'll learn to love you." Tessa replied.

Duncan sighed. "Tess, I really don't."

"Please, Duncan." Tessa softly interrupted. "I'm tired of always going alone. I shouldn't have to return as if I have no one in my life. I want my family to see that you and Richie are a part of me now. You are my family. I shouldn't have to return to my roots as if I am alone."

It was an argument that immediately melted the man's resolve.

"I'll call the airport." Duncan replied simply, giving her a reassuring kiss as he passed by.

* * *

As the couple sat quietly at the table, Richie strolled in to join them. "Hey, guys, what's up?"

Duncan couldn't help but smirk at the irony. It was only an hour earlier that he had fervently hoped the boy's mood would be pleasant. He had gotten his wish.

* * *

"Tomorrow?" Richie asked in amazement. "You're going to France tomorrow?"

"WE are. Tessa replied, giving the Immortal a pointed look. "Well, late tomorrow night. Wednesday morning, really."

"Issue here?" Richie asked curiously, noting the undertone of tension.

The couple exchanged a brief look. It was Tessa who addressed the question. "There is some tension between my family and Duncan."

"That's putting it mildly." The Immortal said under his breath.

The mumbling earned him a warning look from the Frenchwoman. "So we are a bit nervous about him coming with me."

"Oh." Richie replied softly, as the realization that both Duncan and Tessa were leaving fully sunk in. He tried his best to maintain his composure. "So how long's the trip?"

"Just a couple of weeks." Duncan replied. "You don't mind terribly do you?"

"No." Richie replied quickly, desperately attempting to keep his tone casual. He couldn't believe they were leaving him. After all the promises the Immoral had made, the first time he was a little defiant and there was a better offer, the man was taking off. "Why should I mind?"

"You wanted to get away for awhile." Duncan tried to make the trip seem more inviting. Just because he wasn't exactly thrilled about going to France didn't mean the teen shouldn't be. "This is the prefect opportunity to experience new things."

New things; Richie almost laughed at the reference. Like being ditched was a new experience. He couldn't help but hold out some hope, though. From the way Duncan was talking, it sounded like he was planning to come back for him. "Yeah. I guess I'll get to go out of town after all, huh?"

"Right." Duncan agreed, trying to shake off the concern he felt about Richie's attitude. Something didn't seem quite right, but he couldn't put his finger on it. "After dinner, why don't you go get some things together? I'll come in later to make sure you're picking appropriate things, okay?"

"Sure." Richie replied casually, disgusted at the idea that the Immortal wanted to check what he took with him. He probably wanted to make sure the teen hadn't packed any of his precious antiques. That disgust wasn't enough to make him not want to come back, though. He tried to keep his next question as casual as possible. "I only need to pack enough for a couple of weeks?"

"Yeah." Duncan looked at him, slightly confused. He could have sworn they just said they were only going for a few weeks.

The teen sighed quietly. He tried to convince himself that he shouldn't feel anything but gratitude that the couple was going to come back for him. If they just needed a break, he could handle that. And he wouldn't be such a pain when they got back. He had gotten lax around them; whiny. The time on his own would remind him to keep himself in check. This time on his own would be good. Somehow, the teen couldn't quite believe his own argument.

Suddenly, his dinner didn't look nearly as appetizing as it had when he first sat down. "I'm going down to the park."

"What for?" Duncan asked.

Richie thought quickly. He really had no desire to tell the couple how he was going to make arrangements, but he did need to take care of it. "There's a game. I thought I'd watch."

"Basketball?" Duncan pressed.

Richie nodded slightly. "Yeah."

"You haven't eaten much." Tessa told him.

Richie looked up at her and then at Duncan. He was having a difficult time understanding how they could be so mellow about taking off; not that he wouldn't play along. "I'm not that hungry."

"All right." Duncan said slowly, beginning to equate Richie's odd mood to nerves over traveling. After all, the idea of meeting Tessa's family had to be somewhat disconcerting for the teen. "Back by 8."

"Sure." As he got up from the table, the teen couldn't believe the gall of the Immortal; telling him when to be in. The whole situation was ludicrous but he was desperate. If the couple wanted to act like nothing had changed, he could handle it. He truly wanted to be allowed to come back even though he knew nothing could really stay the same after this.


	2. Docks

Standing in the kitchen alone, sorting through what had to be tossed before they left, Duncan couldn't quite shake the feeling that something was wrong with Richie. Normally, he would have discussed it with Tessa, but the woman was so anxious about the trip, he hadn't wanted to burden her with his own paranoia. And besides, she had run out to the store to pick up what she referred to as 'necessities' for the trip as soon as they had gotten the table cleared.

Starring into the refrigerator, lost in his own thoughts, the Immortal was startled by the very loud and, frankly, annoying pounding that was happening on his back door. As he neared the loud distraction, his temper began to flare.

"What in the hell?" The Immortal stopped in his tracks as he stared at the offender. "What are you doing here?"

"Looking for answers." Jason replied, pushing past the man as he walked into the loft uninvited.

Duncan closed the door behind him. "Please, do come in."

"Thank you." Jason returned equally as sarcastically. He walked through the apartment, obviously searching for something.

Or, in Duncan's opinion, someone. "Richie isn't here."

"I know." Jason replied flatly, surprising the Immortal. "Is it just us?"

"Yes." Duncan replied, suspicious of the question and curious as to how the man knew Richie wasn't home. "What do you want?"

"An explanation. And you've got about 30 seconds to come up with a damn good one." Jason replied.

"Richie told you we're going to France." Duncan returned in realization.

This reply angered his visitor to no end. "Damn right he did. What the hell is wrong with you? Abandoning him like that; as if you hadn't just given your word that you were going to keep him. Are you schizophrenic or something?"

"Abandon him?" Duncan repeated. "What are you talking about, I'm not abandoning him."

"What do you call taking off on him for weeks?" Jason shot back.

Suddenly, Duncan realized what had been out of place during the conversation with Richie. "You've been talking to him?"

"Obviously." Jason returned hotly.

Duncan's response greatly melted some of that hostility. "And he thinks we're leaving him."

"He does." Jason replied, not having expected that as a response. He continued suspiciously. "Are you telling me you aren't?"

"Of course not." Duncan replied shortly. "He can't honestly believe that I'd up and leave the country without him."

"Have you two never been introduced? Honestly, the idea that you are still surprised when he thinks he is being abandoned amazes me. Do you know him at all?" Jason asked.

It was not a question that put the Immortal at ease. "Of course I know him. I just didn't realize that he is still mistrusting that I'll keep him."

"Do you remember the night in the alley?" Jason asked.

Again, a topic that didn't exactly warm Duncan's heart. "You mean the time I found you two out there in the middle of the night, him sick and jacketless? Vividly, thank you."

"I asked him if he wanted to stay here." Jason told him.

The idea that the man had considered taking the teen away did not exactly settle well with the Immortal, either. "And?"

"And he told me that, until you got sick of him, he was liking it here." Jason replied.

"Until I get sick of him?" The Immortal repeated.

Jason nodded shortly. "And then you get in a fight and, an hour later, decide you're leaving."

"A fight?" Duncan replied, not getting the reference.

But Jason reminded him. "Over some concert. Richie said he had made you mad by wanting to go to some concert and you'd gotten tired of it and decided to take off."

"That's not…I would never…" Richie's words were swimming through his head. 'I guess I'll get to go out of town after all, huh?' How had he missed the fact that they had been having two entirely separate conversations? "Where is he?"

"Why?" Jason asked.

Duncan was hardly in the mood for the questioning, despite his gratitude to the man. "We need to get a few things straightened out."

"Like what?" Jason questioned, not entirely trusting that the Immortal would be forgiving of the teen.

The Scotsman was, apparently, not having a very intuitive day. He didn't get the reference. "Like that his home here in not temporary."

"And you plan to do that by?" The man pressed.

Duncan finally understood what Jason was alluding to. He was appalled. "Not by harming him, if that's what you mean."

"You'll have me to answer to should you change your mind." Jason replied darkly.

Duncan was far from afraid. "Fine. Just tell me where he is."

"I told him to meet me on the docks." Jason finally replied.

"He knows you're here?" Duncan replied, both surprised and concerned.

"Hardly." Jason returned.

"Thank you." Duncan replied shortly, already shrugging on his jacket and leading the man towards the door.

* * *

As soon as he spotted the teen, standing on the edge of the dock tossing rocks into the water, a mixture of emotions flooded through the man. Relief. Sadness. Joy. Pity. He couldn't even decide which one was most prevalent. It didn't really matter though. All that mattered was getting things straightened out with Richie. And getting the teen home. 

As he neared the boy, he was shocked to realize that his approach was continuing to go unnoticed. This was not like Richie at all. Usually the teen was as jumpy as a cat. He definitely was lost in his own emotions. It wasn't until the Immortal had taken a hold of the bottom of the teen's coat, that he was even noticed.

Startled out of his thoughts, the frightened teen turned towards the man. His relief that it was only the Scotsman was evident. After all, it wasn't exactly a good idea to be unaware of your surroundings on the docks at twilight. Still, he was hardly expecting the Immortal. "Mac?"

"Funny, the zipper doesn't seem stuck." Duncan told him as he gripped the other side of the teen's jacket and abruptly zipped it up.

Richie barely even processed the comment. "What are you doing here?"

"It's a wonder you've never had frostbite. Who kept you warm before we met?" The Immortal questioned, pulling the teen tightly to his chest.

Richie tried to push away. "Mac, come on. We're in public."

"Afraid you'll loss your tough guy image among the junkies and skells?" Duncan asked, still holding tightly to the teen.

Richie didn't address the question. "What's going on?"

"This doesn't look much like the park." Duncan told him, gently prying himself away from the teen and leading him towards the car.

Richie blushed slightly at the question, shaking Duncan's arm off his shoulder. It wasn't until the Immortal firmly gripped his hand that he replied. "Mac. Come on, let go. People'll talk."

"All right." The Immortal said nonchalantly. "If you'd rather I carry you."

As the Immortal let go and leaned over to do just that, Richie stopped him. "Okay, okay." The teen replied, this time grabbing the man's hand.

As they walked across the dock and towards the car Duncan had parked in the alley, Richie finally broke the silence between them. "Mac?"

"Yeah?" The Immortal replied simply.

Richie hesitantly questioned him. "Where are we going?"

"Home." The man told him resolutely. "You and I have a few things we need to talk about."

As Duncan held the passenger door open for him, Richie couldn't feel anything but trepidation. It was definitely not his day.


	3. Coming Home

Richie was amazed at how loud silence could be. He had always thought silence was, well, silent. But not this time. The unspoken words that hung in the air were almost deafening. It was so unbearable that he surely would have broken it at some point throughout the ride, had he only known what to say. But what, exactly, Duncan wanted was so unclear to him that he didn't even know where to begin.

Was this it? Was Duncan so annoyed that he hadn't gone to the park that he had changed his mind about letting the teen come back after their trip to France? And how had the Immortal found out to begin with? Looking at the dash, it was very clearly 7:23 p.m. Richie had more than a half an hour before the Immortal had told him to be in. Had Duncan looked for him at the park or did he just happen to be at the docks when he spotted the teen? These questions were the only ones Richie could focus on throughout the entire ride to the loft.

And Duncan was far from volunteering answers. Driving in complete silence, the Immortal never even looked over at his young passenger. It was not until he had parked the car and went over to open the passenger side door that Richie was even sure the man remembered that the teen was in the car to begin with.

As Richie slowly climbed out of the car, he wasn't sure whether he should feel afraid or relieved by the hand the Scotsman placed on his shoulder to guide him to the door. Walking up the shop steps to the loft, Richie kept waiting for the impending blow up. But the Immortal just kept silently leading him. Through the kitchen. Across the living room. To the large armchair.

When the Immortal gently guided the teen to the chair, and then settled himself on the nearby couch, Richie knew that the time had come. He was finally going to be privy to exactly what the Immortal was thinking. He was more than ready for that moment. The imposing lack of knowledge was driving him crazy.

"You gave us your word, Richie." Duncan finally said.

Thoroughly confusing the teen. "What?"

"That you would be truthful about where you were." The Immortal told him.

The comment angered Richie, which was something the teen himself had never expected. "Give me a break."

"The dock is no place for you to be, especially by yourself." Duncan told him flatly.

But Richie couldn't quite shake the anger that was building over the Immortal's nerve. "What right do you have to tell me where to go?"

"I have every right." Duncan told him calmly, glad to see that he was successfully drawing the teen's emotions out. He needed Richie to open the floodgates that he had built as soon as he thought he was being abandoned. There was no other way he could think of to really get the teen to let him see how much he was hurting. "Besides, you gave me your word."

"Yeah?" Riche shot back, now completely enraged. "Well, you gave me your word, too. The way I figure, the minute you went back on yours it made any promises I made to you null and void."

"I've never gone back on my word to you, Richie." Duncan told him calmly.

The calm, cool manner in which the Immortal lied to his face simply infuriated the teen. "You said you wouldn't leave me. You promised."

"I'm not leaving you." The man told him quietly, making sure to hold the teen's gaze as he spoke.

Richie wasn't getting the point, however. "What do you call your trip to France?"

"A family vacation." Duncan told him seriously.

The one word totally melted Richie's anger. And turned it into grief. 'Family.' Duncan was going with his family: Tessa. Of course the Immortal didn't consider that abandonment. He was, after all, coming back. Taking a 'family' trip was perfectly normal.

His next question came out in just above a whisper. "So I'll see you again when you get back?"

"Of course you will. You'll see me while we're in France, too." Duncan told him.

The reply completely confused the teen. "What?"

"Oh, God, Richie." Despite knowing it had been necessary, Duncan could no longer stand seeing Richie so lost. Sliding off the couch, the Immortal righted himself on his knees directly in front of the teen. Looking up at the boy, he firmly grasped each side of Richie's waist before continuing. "Don't you know I would NEVER leave you here by yourself?"

"What?" Richie asked, slowly beginning to process what the man was telling him.

Duncan spoke with total urgency. "How could you even question that you are coming with us?"

"You want me to come to France with you?" Richie asked, totally overwhelmed by the idea.

The Immortal's eyes were filled with emotion. "You don't have any choice, partner. You're coming with us if I have to carry you kicking and screaming."

"You mean it?" Richie asked, tears of relief welling up in his eyes.

Duncan continued to clutch him. "When are you going to get it, Richie? You're stuck with me. Forever. No matter what. That means, where I go you go. There's nothing you or anyone else can say or do to change that."

"But the concert..." Richie started.

Duncan looked up at him. "What about it?"

"I was bugging you about it. I made you angry." The teen told him seriously.

The serious response draw out a laugh from the man. "Richie, it was just a silly concert."

"But I was pestering you about it." Richie replied.

Duncan looked at him blankly. "So?"

"So I thought I was bothering you; that you had gotten tired of me." The teen confessed.

Duncan sighed. "Rich, you're going to want things that I'm going to say no to. That's the nature of our relationship. But just because we have disagreements over what you can and can't do doesn't mean I'm going to get sick of you or get rid of you. Parents argue with their kids."

"That's different, though." Richie replied.

Duncan tightened his grip slightly on the teen. "No, Richie, it isn't. You're my kid. As much as if you'd been with me your whole life. How can I make you understand that? Do I have to tell you that you're my son every night when I tuck you in? Do I have to remind you every morning when I get you up?"

"You don't wake me up or put me to bed." Richie told him with a slight smile.

Duncan replied quickly. "From now on I do. It's quite clear to me that you need reassured how much you're loved."

"Thanks, Mac." The teen told him simply.

But Duncan wasn't having it. He shook his head. "That right there is half the problem, I suspect."

"What?" Richie asked, worry once again beginning to creep through him.

The Immortal's clarification was hardly what he expected. "Mac. It's a nickname. Something you call your boss or your friend."

"So?" Richie questioned.

"So I am not your boss." The Immortal told him, reaching out and gripping Richie under the arms.

"And I am not your friend." He said as he firmly pulled the teen down into his lap.

"I am your father." He tightly wrapped his arms around the boy's back and held him close. "And you need to remember that."

"What are you saying?" Richie asked, suspecting where the man was going but not wanting to presume too much.

"I'm saying," The Immortal told him. "That from now on, calling me 'Mac' is not allowed."

"What do you want called?" The teen asked, allowing his arms to wrap around the man's neck.

"Papa, pa, pap, dad, daddy. Whatever you want to call me. As long as it in some way means father, you can use it." The Immortal told him.

"Got it." Richie replied, resting his head on the Scotsman's shoulder.

And that is just how they stayed. Duncan was still sitting there, resting on the backs of his legs, propped up on the floor with Richie in his arms, when Tessa, weighted down with packages, walked through the door.


	4. Family Discussion

At first, Tessa didn't even notice the pair sitting in the middle of the living room floor. Striding into the room, laden with packages, the thought of looking down for her lover never occurred to the women.

"Duncan, can you give me a..." Finally noticing the duo, she immediately abandoned her packages and dropped down in front of them.

Both Duncan and Richie were slightly startled by the strength she showed as she pulled the teen off Duncan and settled him on the floor in front of herself. Turning him one-way and then another, she examined him from head to toe. "What's wrong? Where are you hurt? What happened?"

"I'm okay, Tess." Richie defended himself, still befuddled by the intense scrutiny he was receiving.

The Frenchwoman, however, was not convinced by his reassurances. "Let me be the judge of that." She replied, tilting his head from side to side to examine him closely.

"He isn't hurt, Tess." Duncan defended the teen. "Or sick."

When the woman looked over at him skeptically, the Immortal continued. "Honestly, he's alright."

"Good." The woman replied, removing her hands from the teen and abruptly standing. Walking back over to retrieve her discarded packages, she lightly patted the boy on the shoulder. "I'm glad."

"Tessa." Duncan didn't even know what to say to her. How on earth he was going to convince the woman that she needed to be less abrupt with the boy was beyond him.

"Come help me with these?" She turned to the two. "And maybe fill me in on what, exactly, is going on here."

"All right." Duncan told her, rising only slightly slower than Richie. Resting a hand on the back of the boy's neck, he went over to help Tessa place the packages on the kitchen table.

"So?" She asked expectantly, looking through her treasures.

When Richie looked down at his feet, Duncan decided to relieve the boy's discomfort and answer the question himself. "Richie was a bit confused."

"About?" Tessa questioned, looking from the Immortal, to the teenager and then back to the Immortal.

When Richie remained silent, Duncan once again interjected. "About who all was going to France."

"We told you both Duncan and I are going." Tessa looked at the boy, not understanding the reference.

The Scotsman quickly spoke. "It wasn't you or I going that he was confused about."

"Well, then where was the..." Tessa finally understood what the Immortal was alluding to. "Richie, what were you thinking? You are much too young to be left here by yourself. Of course you are coming."

"I know." Richie said quietly, not quite meeting her eye. "That's been made pretty clear."

"Good." The Frenchwoman replied, turning her attention back to the packages. "Tomorrow will be a busy day, you better go get ready for bed."

"Bed?" Richie repeated, slightly in shock. "Tess, primetime TV hasn't even started. It's way too early to go to bed."

"I didn't say go to bed, Richie." The woman returned. "Just get ready. Why don't you go get a shower, brush your teeth and put on your pajamas? Then you can come out here and watch some television with us."

"Pajamas?" Richie replied; the idea of that particular type of clothing was far from appealing to him.

Tessa was not swayed however. "Yes, pajamas. The things one sleeps in. I've bought you plenty, Richie. Second drawer on the left."

"I know what they are, I just don't wear them." The teen replied stubbornly.

Duncan finally interjected. "It's up to you, Richie. If you'd rather roam around in your underwear, I won't be offended in the least. How about you, Tess?"

"Not at all." Tessa replied, totally understanding the man's logic. "You might get a bit cold, though."

"Oh, for Pete's sake." The timid boy blushed bright red at the very idea. "Fine, I'll wear the pajamas."

As Duncan watched Richie hastily retreat to the bathroom, he couldn't help calling after him. "Don't forget to wash behind your ears."

The couple exchanged grins at the groan that floated back to them from down the hallway.

* * *

As she slid the last item into her suitcase, Tessa paused to listen to the sound of the shower turning off.

"Sounds like he's done." Duncan commented, noticing Tessa's hesitation at the sound.

Her response was quick. "He took a long time. He's usually in and out in two minutes."

"Hard day." Duncan said quietly, taking both their suitcases and placing them by the bedroom door.

Tessa looked over at the man. "Thinking he was staying alone; what are we going to do with him?"

"Well," He couldn't pass up this opportunity to discuss the distance Tessa was putting between herself and Richie, even if it would anger the Frenchwoman. He owed it to the boy. "It wouldn't kill you to be a bit more affectionate with him."

"Richie knows I care about him." Tessa replied simply.

The response absolutely infuriated Duncan. "He doesn't know, Tessa. Isn't that painfully obvious? He's terrified we're going to abandon him."

"Duncan." Tessa began, surprised by the passion in the Immortal's voice.

Duncan, however, was not finished expressing his thoughts. "He's absolutely certain that he's going to do something to make us get rid of him. How can you not see that? The first time we even mention leaving, he thinks it's just an excuse to leave him. My God, it's heart wrenching. Not to mention downright dangerous."

"Dangerous?" The one word earned her undivided attention. "What do you mean? What aren't you telling me?"

"He thought we were leaving him." Duncan started.

Tessa urged him on. "And."

"And he was hanging out at the docks, waiting for his old pal Jason to come help him find a new place to live." The Immortal continued, then walked out of the bedroom.

Tessa was mortified. She quickly followed him into the living room. "The docks? He was at the docks? At night? Alone?"

"He was." The Scotsman replied flatly.

The Frenchwoman was far from pleased. "He had no business being there. How could you not tell me this?"

"I wanted to discuss it in private." The Immortal defended, stopping to stand in front of the couch.

Tessa's anger was mollified. "Have you handled it yet?"

"That's what I was doing when you came in, Tess." The Immortal replied simply, turning to face her.

Tessa was not exactly impressed. "That's how you handle it? By hugging him?"

"He needs affection. Reassurance. We need to let him know that his place here with us is permanent, Tessa. He thinks our love is only temporarily and completely conditional." The Immortal defended his response to the boy.

Tessa was quick to respond. "He was somewhere completely unsafe. And he lied to us about where he was going. We cannot simply hug him every time he disobeys us, Duncan."

"I know that." The Immortal retorted. "I'm not saying we should just ignore what he did."

"Well, then what are you saying?" Tessa questioned suspiciously.

The Scotsman looked her dead in the eye. "I'm saying that reassuring him was my first priority. He needs to understand that we love him. Otherwise, he'll never understand why we punish him when he misbehaves."

Even Tessa couldn't argue with that logic. "So you did punish him."

"No." The Immortal admitted, quickly continuing when he saw the look Tessa was leveling at him. "I thought we should discuss what it should be first."

"Why don't we just ground him?" Tessa replied.

Duncan gave her an impatient look. "In France? Where exactly would we ground him to?"

"All right." Tessa allowed. "Maybe grounding would be a bit hard to enforce. But we could just insist he stay with us throughout the whole trip."

"Absolutely not." Duncan was not at all thrown by the surprised look Tessa gave him. "Nothing good can come of making him think being with us is a punishment."

"So you want to let him roam on his own in Paris?" Tessa countered.

The Immortal was not phased by the question. "Of course not. Not only did he scare me half to death with his reckless trip to the docks, he's entirely too young to be left to his own devices in a big city; especially a foreign one."

"So you do want to keep him with us?" Tessa questioned.

Duncan gave her a quick nod. "Of course. I just don't think that we should equate spending time together and punishment."

"Good point." Tessa admitted. "So what? Should we take away some privileges? Not let him talk on the phone or watch the television?"

Duncan paused to think it over for a minute. "I can really get behind the phone idea. He has a penchant for gabbing and not being able to would be a good reminder of what happened tonight."

"True." Tessa nodded in agreement.

Duncan was still processing the idea, however. And liking it more and more. "Besides, he has a tendency not to talk to us about things. If he can't pick up the phone and call someone else, maybe he'll actually start coming to us with his feelings."

"We should be sure to mention that." Tessa added.

"Absolutely." Duncan nodded in agreement, settling with the woman on the couch.

Tessa snuggled contently into the man's chest, finally at ease with the agreement over the teen. "Two months?"

"Too long." Duncan replied. "This is the first time we've ever punished him, Tess. And two months is like a lifetime to one so young. A week."

"A week?" Tessa replied skeptically. "We'll still be in Paris. He won't even notice. One month."

"Sounds right." Duncan said, glad they could actually come to such a quick agreement.

Tessa wasn't quite yet satisfied, however. "Television?"

"Television?" Duncan paused briefly to consider the idea. He responded quite slowly. "I'd really rather not. I think it's too good of an opportunity to show him affection."

"Affection?" Tessa questioned, pulling away just enough to give the man a puzzled look. "How on earth do you plan to show him affection when he's watching TV?"

"It's a good time to just sit quietly with him. Allow him to lean up against us; when he gets tired out he might actually let us hold him."

"Duncan, he hates that." Tessa retorted. "He always pulls away when we try to hug him."

"At first." Duncan replied. "But only because he isn't used to it."

"He wasn't raised being held. It isn't something he's comfortable with." Tessa stated.

But the Immortal was not sharing her sentiment. "He's still being raised, Tessa. And the fact that he didn't receive much affection when he was little just means he needs more now. I intend to make up for the coddling his missed out on earlier."

"It doesn't make him comfortable, Duncan." Tessa once again told him.

And, once again, Duncan disagreed. "I know he gets tense about it at first, Tessa. But when you insist on holding him, he clings almost desperately. Before you came in, he just sat in my lap on the floor, clutching to my neck for a good five minutes. That is not the response of a boy who doesn't want to be treated with affection."

"He doesn't want babied, Duncan." The Frenchwoman told him.

The Immortal practically mumbled his response, which was as much to himself as to her. "That doesn't mean he doesn't need it."

"Who doesn't need what?" Richie questioned, coming into the room just early enough to hear the tail end of the conversation.

* * *

"Oh, sorry." Richie replied, seeing the couple sitting knit together on the couch. "Didn't mean to interrupt.

Duncan immediately halted the teen's retreat. "Stop right there."

As Richie turned back to face him, Duncan continued. He spoke insistently. "You aren't interrupting, Richie. We need to talk to you."

"About what?" Richie asked suspiciously.

Tessa was the first to response. "Your little adventure today."

"What about it?" Richie replied warily.

Duncan decided to join in, not wanting the teen to equate discipline with only Tessa. He could see the trend occurring and he wanted to curb it as much as possible. "You put yourself in danger by going to the docks, Richie. And you lied to us."

"I know, I'm sorry. I just thought I needed to figure out where I was going to stay." Richie replied quietly.

"That's not acceptable, Richie." Duncan told him, doing his best to ignore the shocked expression on the boy's face. "If you had simply told us what you were thinking instead of lying to us and hiding your feelings, all the pain of thinking you were being left could have been quickly ended. Not to mention, you never would have been roaming around the docks by yourself."

"You're right." Richie said seriously, nodding his head.

Duncan and Tessa, however, were not as ready to end the conversation as Richie. Tessa decided to get her input in. "It's all about communication, Richie. If you would simply talk to us, these things would be handled much more quickly."

"And easily." Duncan added, surprised and pleased at how well he and Tessa were handling this together. Despite their differing opinions about how to treat Richie, they were handling this particular conversation quite well in his estimation. "And we've come up what we feel is the most suitable punishment, which we hope will help you learn to communicate with us."

"Punishment?" Richie repeated; stumbling over the word he had never expected to hear.

Tessa replied this time. "You don't really believe we can let you do something so unsafe and not respond to it, do you?"

"Well, I…" The boy was at a loss for words.

Duncan, however, was not. "We love you too much to ignore it when you put yourself in danger, Richie."

"That is why you are not allowed to use the phone for a month." Tessa told him.

Richie was dumbfounded. "The phone?"

"Yes, the phone." Duncan told him. "That means; if there's anything you need to talk about you are going to have to come to us. Hopefully, you'll be able to see how much easier life is when you just talk to us."

"Okay." Richie replied quietly. There was a noticeable pause before he continued. "I'm really sorry, guys. I never meant to upset you."

As the teen turned slowly to leave the room, he was surprised by Duncan's voice. "Where're you going, Rich?"

"My room." The teen replied.

But that was not what the couple had in mind. Tessa replied first. "Come sit and watch TV with us."

"Really? But I thought you were mad." Richie replied hesitantly.

Duncan looked at him seriously. "We were upset, Richie. But you know the consequences now and you understand why we're punishing you, don't you?"

"Yes, sir." The teen replied seriously.

Duncan nodded shortly. "Good. Then now that that's handled, come sit with us."

"Okay." The teen couldn't help but break into a grin at the invitation. No one had ever punished him and then wanted to hang out with him. It was a new experience entirely.

As the teen sat down in the armchair, Duncan frowned. "Richie?"

"Yeah?" The boy looked over at him expectantly.

Duncan held out an arm to him. "Come sit WITH us."

"All right." Richie replied, sliding off the chair and perching himself at the end of the couch.

The couple exchanged a look. To the Immortal, it was apparent that the Frenchwoman found her point being proved perfectly. Duncan was sure he was right about the teen, however. With a slight sigh, he reached out for the boy. "Richie" he started slowly pulling the teen across the couch. "Come here."

The tense moments that Richie sat stiffly upright on his lap made the Immortal seriously question his decision to force the contact on the teen. As Richie leaned back against him and settled amicably into his chest, resting his head against Duncan's, the Immortal couldn't help but smile. When the teen casually took the remote from his hand and flipped the channel, he broke into an outright gin. This was definitely progress.

Now if they could only survive Paris.


	5. Getting Ready

Casually strolling into his bedroom, Richie was stopped dead in his tracks by the state of the room. He was more than certain that he had not left it like this.

"What the he-." Richie careful reformed the final word of his question at the disapproving look he received from the Immortal. "Heck?"

"Hey, Rich." Duncan greeted him casually, as he nonchalantly moved clothes out of the bureau and into the enormous bag laying open on the teen's bed.

Richie watched in awe as the Scotsman comfortably sorted through his things. "Hey." He replied distractedly. "What're you doing?"

"Getting you packed." The man replied simply.

Richie was far from appeased by that answer, however. "I know how to pack."

"Of course you do." Duncan soothed. "But this is an extended trip to a foreign country that is going to include various formal events. I'm willing to wager you've never packed for that type of trip before."

"What's the point?" Richie questioned.

Earning him a puzzled look from the Immortal. "Point to what? Packing?"

"No." Richie rolled his eyes. "This trip. You never did tell me what it is, exactly, that we're going for."

"Oh." Duncan responded. "Tessa's parents are having a big anniversary party."

"We're going to France for a party?" Richie asked skeptically.

Duncan smiled slightly, finding the idea of it a bit outlandish himself. "It's their 50th. They're pretty prominent in the area and are having a big bash."

"Big enough to warrant a flight across the world?" Richie returned.

The Scotsman couldn't help but agree that the idea was ridiculous. But that didn't mean he wanted Richie to share in his negative opinion of the trip. "There'll be family photo opportunities, I assume. That, and I think Tessa's family is anxious to see her. It has been quite awhile."

"So why don't you want to go?" The teen replied.

Duncan bit back the response he wanted to give. It wouldn't be fair to involve the boy in the matter. He gave the most diplomatic answer he could muster. "I don't always relate well to Tessa's family."

"They don't like you?" Richie replied, seeing right through Duncan's response. "Why don't they like you? Everyone likes you."

"Not everyone, Richie." Duncan told him seriously. "Especially not the family of a woman I've never actually married."

"Oh." Richie replied, understanding the issue. "So they're real jack asses to you, huh?"

"Richard Ryan MacLeod." The Immortal thundered.

Richie, however, was totally oblivious to the source of the man's anger. "What?"

"You better watch that mouth of yours." Duncan told him seriously.

Richie barely managed to stop himself from rolling his eyes. "Geez, okay. I'm sorry, all right?"

"You better be sorry." Duncan warned. "And I better not hear that type of language come from your lips again, unless you want me to wash out that filthy mouth of yours."

"Okay, okay, I get it." Richie replied, holding up his hands in surrender. "So, if you married Tess, do you think you'd get along with them better?"

Duncan stopped arranging the clothes within the bag and paused momentarily to phrase his answer. "I think," he replied carefully, "that they love Tessa dearly and no one is ever going to be good enough for her in their eyes."

"Oh." Richie replied softly.

The Immortal immediately understood where the teen's thinking had led. "Don't worry, Rich." He told the teen while using one arm to give the boy a reassuring squeeze. "They're going to love you."

"If they don't like you, they're sure not going to like me." Richie told him resolutely.

Duncan, however, disagreed entirely. "You're a completely different case, Rich."

"How so?" The boy inquired.

Duncan looked down at him seriously. "Well, for one, you aren't her live-in lover."

"No." Richie replied. "I'm her live-in lover's charity case."

"Argh." Duncan replied, immediately pulling the teen into his arms. "What am I going to do with you? Huh, little boy?"

"What?' Richie returned.

"Who in their right mind would consider the only child of a wealthy antique dealer a charity case?" Duncan demanded.

The boy didn't totally follow the reference. Or, at least, he wasn't admitting to it. "Say what?"

"You're my son, Richie. Not my charity case." Duncan told him. "You know that Tessa and I both adore you. So will Tessa's family."

"Sure." Richie replied appeasingly, pulling away from the man. "So do you fight with her family a lot?"

"Changing the subject?" Duncan returned.

"Yep." Richie replied shortly.

Duncan, however, was not that easily distracted. He once again pulled the teen to his chest. "You know that I love you?"

"It's not like you don't say it all the time." Richie told him, feigning annoyance at the affection.

Duncan continued to press. "That isn't an answer, Richie. You do KNOW that I love you, don't you?"

"Yes." Richie replied, dragging out the word as he spoke.

Duncan gave him a loud kiss on the top of the head, and then released the teen. "Good. I just wanted to be sure."

"So what do they say to you?" Richie continued to press the issue. "Do you guys, like, openly fight or what?"

"What do you say we hit the park?" Duncan asked. "This is our last chance to get some one-on-one in before we leave."

"Now you're changing the subject." Richie told him as he crossed his arms over his chest.

Duncan gave him a tight smile as he finished zipping up the teen's bag. "I know. So do you want to go shoot some hoops or not?

"All right." Richie replied, willing to allow the momentary avoidance. After all, he was going to get to see the interaction first hand soon enough.

* * *

"You're late." Tessa called out to the living room as soon as she heard Richie's bedroom door close.

"I know." Duncan told her, coming into the kitchen, playfully leaning over her shoulder to check what she was making.

"You had fun?" She questioned politely, pulling away from the sweat-drenched man.

Duncan gave her a genuine smile. "I love playing with him, Tess. You should see how he shines out there. He's totally in his element."

"I'm glad." She told him with a slight smile. "I wish you had told me you were going to be gone so long, though. I had wanted to eat early so we could get to bed quicker."

"In that case, why don't we just skip dinner entirely?" Duncan replied, wrapping his arms around her.

"Duncan." Tessa wasn't swayed. The idea of visiting her family was far from a turn-on for the woman. Nor was the highly potent smelling Immortal. "I meant because we have to be at the airport at 4."

"I know." Duncan replied, taking her hint and pulling away. "I didn't mean to be gone quite so late. Richie was having a good time, though. It might be the last chance he has to play for a while."

"I'm sure Papa will take him on outings." Tessa replied.

Duncan managed to maintain a neutral expression. "Well, good. I just wanted to be sure, though."

Tessa sighed. "Please tell me that you at least got him packed first."

"I did." Duncan replied, grapping a carrot despite Tessa's shooing hands.

She couldn't help but smile at the impish grin he gave her. "Go take a shower."

"Yes, ma'am." He replied with a salute, quickly skirting out of the room as Tessa snapped the towel after him.

* * *

"I'm quite serious, Richie. Go get around." Tessa told the teenager patiently.

But Richie wasn't exactly willing to comply with the woman's wishes. "Oh, come on Tessa. It's way too early to go to bed."

"We have to fly very early tomorrow, Richie. You need to get some sleep." The woman told him, rehashing the same argument she had attempted at dinner.

It was an argument that worked neither time, however. "Okay, you're not even being realistic. There's no way I'm going to be able to sleep. It isn't even 8 o'clock."

"Just try." Tessa told him tiredly.

Richie was quick with a comeback. "I am not even a little bit tired."

"If you don't get to bed soon, you might as well just stay up until our flight." She told him.

It was not a brilliant argument. "Fine with me."

"Richie, you'll be exhausted." She told him flatly.

He shrugged. "It's not like I'm the pilot."

"Don't you get smart with me, young man." She told him seriously.

The teen was quick to smooth over the ruffled feathers. "I'm not trying to be smart, Tess. I just don't see why I have to be rested to fly. You guys aren't going to sleep."

"Richie." The woman was tiring of the argument. "Why don't we compromise?"

"How?" Richie asked, immediately suspicious.

Tessa replied calmly. "If you go put on what you plan to wear on the plane, you can go lay quietly on the couch and watch television."

"For as long as I want?" Richie asked hesitantly.

Tessa had no doubt the teen would quickly fall asleep. "That's fine."

"I gotta get around first." The boy replied.

The Frenchwoman nodded. "15 minutes."

"I gotta shower." Richie told her. "Half an hour."

"20 minutes." Tessa countered.

Richie attempted to bargain. "25."

"10." Tessa returned flatly.

Richie knew his limits. "Okay, okay, 20."

As Tessa looked down at her watch, Richie hurried from the room.

* * *

As Duncan walked back in from loading the bags in the car, he paused to watch Tessa smile as she shook her head over the unconscious state Richie was in. "I cannot believe he stayed up until midnight."

"He was proving a point." Duncan told her evenly.

Tessa wasn't following his line of reasoning. "And what point is that?"

"That he knows better than you when he should go to sleep." Duncan mildly replied.

The Frenchwoman once again shook her head. "All he has done is exhausted himself."

"I know." The Scotsman told her evenly. "He'll just sleep in the car and on the plane."

"Well, he's going to have to stay awake while we're at the airport." Tessa told him.

Duncan looked down at his watch. "Speaking of which, we better get going." Turning to the couch, he gently started shaking the teen. "Rich?"

"What?" Richie replied groggily.

Duncan couldn't help but smile. "Come on. Time to get up."

"It's the middle of the night." Richie mumbled, not budging.

Tessa couldn't stop herself from jumping on that comment. "I told you to go to bed early, Richie. Come on, now. It's time to go."

When the teen continued to lie still, Duncan leaned over him. "Do you want me to carry you?"

The pause in his response surprised the Immortal, even if Richie's answer did not. "Okay, okay, I'm coming."

"Come on." Duncan told the boy as he gently led the way out the door. "You can sleep in the car."


	6. Arrival

"Three hours." Richie repeated grumpily. "Who ever heard of waiting three hours for a stupid plane?"

"They can't fly through fog, Richie." Tessa replied.

Richie rolled his eyes. "You'd think they could go above it or something."

"All right, grouchy." Duncan told him calmly, as he kept one hand on the teen as they made their way down the aisle to their seats. "We're on the plane now."

"Oh." Tessa replied, stopping in her tracks.

Both Duncan and Richie barely avoiding colliding with her. Duncan was the first to respond. "What's the matter, sweetheart?"

"The tickets." Tessa told him.

Richie looked back in confusion at the Immortal. "What about them?"

"They aren't together." She replied.

Duncan wasn't amused. "Of course they are."

"3A and 3B are, but there's an aisle between 3B and 3C." Tessa told him.

Richie was the first to respond. "No biggie. It's only a couple of feet. I'll take 3C."

Duncan pulled him back as the teen attempted to get by them. Continuing to hold onto the teen's jacket, the Immortal turned his attention to Tessa. "Why don't you sit with him?"

"I think you better." The Frenchwoman replied.

Duncan, however, was feeling chivalrous. "No, really, go ahead. I don't mind."

"Good, then sit with him." Tessa returned. "He'll probably sleep better on you and it'll be easier if he doesn't want to wake up when we land."

"Alright." Duncan replied amicably, taking the window seat and pulling the teen down beside him.

"I don't care to sit there, Tess. Really." Turning towards the Immortal, he hissed in barely above the whisper. "And there is no way you're gonna carry me off this plane."

"Fine with me." Duncan shrugged.

* * *

As soon as the pilot stopped talking, Richie turned angrily towards the Immortal. "A day? We're going to be on this plane for a full day?"

"Nope." Duncan returned.

Richie was not impressed. "Our flight left at 9 am. I just heard the guy announce we wouldn't arrive until 8 am TOMORROW. That's a day."

"14 hours, Richie." Tessa told him from across the aisle. And we do have one stop in between. It won't be so bad."

"14 hours?" Richie gave her an annoyed looked. "You need to work on those math skills, Tess."

"You need to work on those geography skills, Rich." Duncan returned.

The teen gave him an odd look. "Say what?"

"France is nine hours ahead of Washington, Richie." The Frenchwoman explained. "It will only be 11 pm in Washington when we get to Paris."

"Hence the term jetlag." Duncan added. "It'll feel like nighttime when everyone there is just getting up."

"So you'll want to get plenty of rest on the flight." Tessa added for good measure. "To try and keep your system from getting completely out of sync."

"Right." The teen replied doubtfully.

* * *

As Tessa turned to look over at Duncan and Richie, she was disheartened to realize that they, too, had stayed up for almost the entire flight. With only an hour before they landed in Paris, all three were still wide-awake with anticipation. She fervently hoped her family would accept her uninvited companions.

* * *

"Good Lord there are so many people here." Tessa said irritably, fighting her way through the crowd of travelers as she attempted to keep both Duncan and Richie in sight.

Duncan shared the sentiment wholeheartedly. "You'd think it was a holiday or something. Do either of you see the luggage area?"

"This way." Richie told them flatly, striding in the direction of the sign, oblivious to the fact that he was fast losing Duncan and Tessa. Unlike the couple, the teen was completely in his element in the crowded, chaotic airport.

It was not until he was already positioned in front of the rotating luggage belt that Duncan and Tessa finally caught up with him. Duncan's abrupt grip on his jacket was more than a little startling. "What?"

"Richie." Duncan's tone was filled with frustration.

Tessa, however, had a quicker response time at voicing that fear. "Don't ever run off from us like that again."

"What? You were coming with me." The teen replied, not understanding the fear.

Tessa was the first to reply. "We are in a huge airport."

"In a foreign country." Duncan added.

Tessa gave him an impatient look before continuing to address the teen. "You must stay with us; even if we are headed to the same place."

"Fine." Richie replied amicably. "Didn't mean to freak you guys out."

"That means for the whole trip, Richie." Duncan added.

Richie gave him a confused look. "What does?"

"You staying with us." Duncan explained, glad that he had continued to press the issue. "While we're in Paris, we stick together. Got it?"

"Why not?" Richie responded passively. "Who else am I going to hang out with?"

"I'm sure my parents will love spending time with you. They are going to find you absolutely adorable." Tessa told him.

Richie wasn't sure how to take that comment. "Adorable?"

"I'm an only child, Richie. Papa, for one, is more than a little anxious for a grandchild to dote over." Tessa told him; not understanding why being considered adorable would be a problem for him.

"So we're the only ones going to be there?" Richie asked, now even more overwhelmed by the idea of this trip than before.

Tessa, however, didn't understand the concern. "Of course not. Mother and Papa's families will come, as well as many family friends. And the staff, of course."

"Staff? Your parents have staff?" Richie questioned.

"Don't worry, Rich." Duncan soothed. "They'll be so many people, we'll blend right in."

"Right." Richie replied.

* * *

"If your parents have some many staff, how come no one was able to come get us from the airport?" Richie asked impatiently as they stood in line at the car rental department of the airport.

Tessa was quick to defend her family. "They would have, Richie. I just thought it would be best if we got a car of our own to use while in town. It is an extended stay, after all."

"Besides," Duncan added. "Our flight was late, remember? No need to put anyone out."

* * *

"This is where you grew up?" Richie asked in awe as he stared at the mansion that lay in front of them. "How many people lived here?"

"Just my parents and I, plus a few workers." Tessa told him calmly.

Richie was more than a little impressed. "How many rooms are in this place?"

"Rooms?" Tessa asked with a slight frown. "I've never really counted all the rooms. There are 12 bedrooms, though."

"Stop gawking and help me get the bags, Rich." Duncan told him with a smile.

* * *

"Aren't you going to knock?" Richie asked as Tessa pushed the huge entry door open.

The woman turned to look at him briefly. "This is home, Richie. There's no need to knock."

Duncan and Richie hesitantly followed the woman into the entry hall. It was Tessa who broke the tension that was emanating throughout the large room. "Hello? Anyone home?"

It took only seconds before, to Richie's great amazement, a hoard of people began swarming in. He had never heard so much French in his entire life. As Tessa squealed with and hugged a woman who appeared to be staff, he was surprised to see Duncan awkwardly greeting an older woman who looked surprisingly like Tessa. Doing his best to fade into the background of this family reunion, the teen continued to clutch desperately to the suitcase he was holding.

"Can I help you?"

As Richie turned to face the man addressing him, he wasn't exactly sure how to respond. Continuing to clutch the bag with his left hand, he finally extended his right hand as an awkward greeting. The response he got was not exactly what he had expected.

After looking down at the hand for a moment, the still-unidentified Noel male reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet. Taking the bag from Richie and handing him a bill, he gave him a slight smile. "Thank you for your assistance, son."

Turning to open the door for him, the man gave him another tight smile. "Have a nice day."

Richie almost laughed. He was being mistaken for a luggage carrier. Looking up at the socialite who was expectantly watching him, the teen just couldn't bring himself to explain who he was. After all, what would he say? Instead, he silently walked out the open door.

A second after stepping out, he realized that it had been the wrong choice. But as the door shut on him, he couldn't quite bring himself to call out. Instead, he found himself standing on the front steps, staring at the door. There was no one to talk to but himself. "Smooth, Richie. What the hell are you going to do now?"


	7. Evil Gardener

It was gold, the teen realized. Not that it was the most monumental epiphany. After all, it really didn't matter much what color the front door was in the larger scheme of things. Still, though, focusing on the color was the only thing he could come up with to think about besides his current predicament. Reaching up to trace the crescent pattern ingrained in the door with his finger, he was momentarily lost in its intricate details. At least, enough so that Richie didn't notice the gardener's approach.

* * *

As Tessa's mother pulled her away from the maid and shoed the woman off while scolding her daughter for the inappropriate greeting she had given the 'help', Duncan cringed. Watching the maid and, presumably, a butler, sweep their baggage away, the Immortal realized that the inevitable confrontation with Tessa's mother over his presence was fast approaching. He sorely hoped the woman would keep herself somewhat in check in front of Richie, at least. Rejection from Tessa's family would be a large blow to the teen. Looking back at the family assembled, Duncan noted that only Tessa and the Noel parental units were still in the foyer. Where on earth was Richie?

* * *

"Hey!" Richie yelled, automatically turning to face his attacker. As the icy water now washed over his face, the teen quickly raised his hands in a futile attempt to shield himself.

Backing up against the door, Richie fervently wished he could speak French. Or understand it at the very least. He had absolutely no idea why an angry-looking man with a pitchfork was assaulting him with a hose and screaming at him.

He had no intention of sticking around to find out, however.

* * *

"Well, I see you brought along your friend, Tessa." Eugenia Noel said coolly. She then turned her attention to Duncan and addressed him in a seemingly polite voice. "It's always good to see you, Mr. MacLeod."

Quickly turning back to the younger female, the woman addressed her in a very quiet tone. "You did not mention you were bringing a traveling companion, Tessa."

Tessa, however, was far from interested in that particular topic of conversation at the moment. Futilely scanning the room, she turned concerned eyes on Duncan. "Where's Richie?"

* * *

Stepping to the left to avoid the oncoming water, Richie abruptly found himself sitting in a very uncomfortable bush. As the angry Frenchman continued to yell and douse him with water, the teen couldn't help but lament over the fact that this was definitely not his day.

Quickly scrambling out of the bush, the boy did his best to tread his way past the gardener via the most readily accessible path: the middle of the flower garden.

This decision was one that the pitchfork and hose wielding Frenchman did not approve of.

* * *

"I have no idea." Duncan replied. "He was just with us."

"Who's Richie?" Aldrich Noel turned questioning eyes on his daughter.

Tessa was not in the mood to explain. She was in the mood to find Richie. "Where on earth could he have gone? Richie? Richie!"

"You brought two men with you?" Eugenia accused.

The usual intimidation that the woman could accomplish was temporarily lost on her daughter. Tessa's focus was far from resting upon her mother. "He came in with us. Where could he have gone? Richie?"

"He isn't here, Tess." Duncan told her.

"Who on earth is this Richie?" Aldrich asked curiously.

The lack of accusation in her father's voice motivated Tessa to answer him. "Our son."

"Your son?" Aldrich returned. "Since when do you have a son?"

"Of course she doesn't have a son." Eugenia told him soothingly. "She means the teenager that works in her store. She's taken him on as one of her little projects. Why on earth would you bring him here, Tessa?"

Duncan did his best not to explode at the woman. Only his need to find the missing boy enabled him to restrain his desire to tell off the stuffy old bat. Tessa, however, was not as controlled. She turned to the woman hotly. "Put a sock in it, mother."

Silence filled the room. Eugenia Noel stood staring at her daughter, with her mouth gaping open in shock. Duncan was only seconds away from bursting into laughter at the sight, when the noise of the outdoor confrontation floated into the room.

* * *

Richie was no longer overcome by his fear of the man. He was wet. And cold. And dirty. And just plain angry. "Stop! For Pete's sakes, would you stop?"

His pleas fell on deaf ears. As Richie sat, trapped among the winter azaleas, the gardener continued to douse him with the hose and scream at him. It was becoming a very old sight, in Richie's estimation. He wished the man would come up with a new course of action.

That is, until the gardener started coming at him with the pitchfork.


	8. First Impressions

The Immortal would recognize that voice anywhere. There was not a doubt in his mind that the pleas to stop were coming from Richie. Losing all interest in the spectacle before him, Duncan crossed the room in a few brief strides and threw open the front door. The sight that greeted him was not exactly what the Immortal had been expecting.

* * *

As the gardener approached him, his pitchfork hand now dominating, Richie recognized that he had no means by which to escape. Not only was he surrounded by thorny shrubbery, but also both he and the garden he was currently seated in were so muddy that he was slowly sinking. Realizing that attempting to run was pointless, the teen did the next best thing he could think of. Leaning back into the flowers, he curled up as tightly as he could and covered his head with his arms. As his entire body began to sink into the muddy pool, he braced himself for the inevitable impact of the gardener's pitchfork.

* * *

As the gardener pulled his weapon of choice back to bring it down upon the teen, he was startled to feel the fork abruptly pulled from his hand. Turning to face the new intruder, the man was further startled when he found himself face to face with the most beautiful woman to ever walk the earth. After over 16 years, he was once again gazing upon his beloved Tessa. Her features overwhelmed him. Her elegance stunned him. Her beauty mesmerized him. Her hose assaulted him. It was only when his sweet princess turned his own torture device back upon him that the gardener remembered the circumstances surrounding this long-anticipated reunion.

* * *

Tossing the pitchfork aside and leaving Tessa and the hose to deal with the assailant, Duncan turned his attention to the terrified teenager hunkered down in the muddy garden. "Richie? Rich, are you all right?"

"What?" It was the only thing the stunned teen could manage. Slowly removing his hands from his head and opening his eyes, the boy quickly processed the sights and sounds around him. There were dogs barking in the distance. Tessa was drenching the gardener. Duncan was trying to trudge his way across the muddy trench that had become the Noel front yard. And a very studious looking couple, no doubt Tessa's parents, were gapping at the scene in amazement. Well, he certainly had made a memorable first impression.

As Richie pulled himself upright, Duncan got his first good look at the boy since he had disappeared outside. Caked in mud and dripping wet, the teen hardly blended in with his surroundings. Well, not his larger surrounds. His immediate surroundings were another story entirely. Those consisted of a garden as muddy and disheveled as the teen; a stark contrast to the rest of the property.

As Duncan carefully crossed the lawn, futily attempting to avoid becoming covered in mud, he worriedly addressed the teen again. "What happened? Are you all right?"

"I'll live." Richie told him flatly.

Reaching out a hand to assist the teen in his attempt to rise, the Immortal continued to pry. "What are you doing out here?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Richie replied. "Getting attacked by a psycho with a pitchfork."

"I noticed." Duncan replied dryly. "Any particular reason for that?"

"Honestly, I have no idea." The boy told him as he allowed the man to carefully lead him out of the yard. "I was standing there, minding my own business, when he comes at me from behind and turns the hose on me. He just kept screaming at me in French and spraying me with the water. I tried to get away from him, but I was pinned in."

"And the pitchfork came in when?" Duncan asked darkly, eying the now-abandoned item in question.

Richie, too, turned his focus on the conspicuous piece of metal sitting in the middle of the walkway. "He always had it. I guess he just decided to use it a minute ago." Waiting a few seconds, the teen quietly turned to the Immortal. "Thanks for stopping him."

"That's what I'm here for." The Scotsman replied, temporarily resting his hand upon the mud-covered head. "Wait here for a minute, okay?"

As soon as he felt the teen's hesitant nod, the Immortal removed his hand and crossed the few brief yards that separated him from the dramatics that was still unfolding. Averting the gardener, Duncan quickly took the hose from Tessa's hand and turned off the pressure. Standing next to his enraged lover, he quickly took control of the situation.

Quickly switching to French, he pounced upon the sodden gardener. "What the hell is your problem?"

"Tessa." The man breathed, not even processing the fact that he and Tessa were far from alone.

Duncan turned to the woman expectantly. Finally seeing through her rage at Richie's attacker, the Frenchwoman took a good look at the gardener for the first time.

"Lamont." The woman said in mild surprise. "What on earth are you doing here?"

"Working, obviously." Eugenia Noel retorted on behalf of the stunned gardener. "Lamont has been our gardener for eight years now, Tessa. Perhaps if you bothered to come home every once in a while you would know who…"

"Eugenia," Aldrich quickly interrupted his wife, attempting to defuse yet another confrontation between his wife and daughter before it began. "We would be well advised to focus our attention on the situation at hand."

"Thank you." Tessa gratefully turned to her father.

Duncan, however, was far from appeased. Mother-daughter strife was far from of interest to him at that moment. He immediately brought the attention back to the sodden man before them. "What kind of gardener attacks people with pitchforks?"

"I assure you, sir, I was unaware that the young man was a family guest." Lamont quickly defended himself. "Aldrich, I assure you he was acting quite suspicious. I was simply defending the home."

"Perhaps it would be best if we discussed this later, Lamont." The family patriarch began. As he looked at Duncan, infuriated by the gardener, Tessa, stunned and angered, and Eugenia, enraged about the entire situation, Aldrich wisely decided to break up the gathering as quickly as possible. "Please go get yourself cleaned up. I'll be down to see you later."

"Yes, sir." The gardener replied hesitantly, before quickly departing the area.

Aldrich once again took control of the conversation. "Eugenia, dear, would you please go and call down to the barn for someone to come take care of this mess?"

"Aldrich, I think that..." The woman began to protest her husband's direction.

Only to be quickly interrupted. "You go call the barn while I get Tessa and her guests settled." The man repeated firmly.

"Fine." The woman replied, haughtily turning back into the house.

"So," Aldrich turned back to his daughter awkwardly. "What now?"

"What now?" Tessa couldn't stop herself from laughing. There was just something about her father's odd manner that she couldn't help but be amused by. "Now, we get inside and cleaned up."

As the three adults once again turned their attention to the dripping teen, Richie found the scrutiny quite unnerving. He almost wished for the return of the gardener. At least then, the focus had been on someone else. Not knowing how to respond to the attention, he did the only thing he could think of. He graced the trio with a short wave, trudged his way past them and led the way into the increasingly intimidating house.


	9. Mommy Dearest

It wasn't until he was fully inside the entryway that Richie realized he had no idea where to go from there. Turning around hesitantly, he faced Duncan, Tessa and the man who had first escorted him from the area.

"How about we get you cleaned up?" Duncan approached the teen while putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.

Aldrich processed the request quickly. "Sounds like a wonderful idea. Come on, I'll show you where."

As the man waved his hand in the direction of an adjacent hallway, he paused briefly to return his daughter's grateful smile before leading the way.

"God heavens look at this mess." Eugenia Noel's voice broke into the welcome silence Tessa had been temporarily enjoying.

The younger woman turned abruptly to face her mother. "This mess? Is that the only thing you have to say? 'Look at this mess.' Honestly, mother."

"And what is it you would like me to say, Tessa?" Eugenia replied stiffly.

Tessa practically spat as she turned to the woman. "Your gardener attacked Richie. Do you even realize that? Does that even affect you at all?"

"Perhaps if you had told us that you were bringing guests, I could have properly prepared the staff for his presence." The older woman told her daughter calmly.

"You knew all about Richie, mother. You simply chose not to acknowledge that." The daughter returned.

Eugenia was hardly fazed. "How was I to know that your association with this boy continued? Your interest in him could have long ago dissipated. I didn't realize…"

"My interest in him?" Tessa interrupted in disbelief.

Her mother looked at her calmly. "Yes, your interest in him. How was I to know that this latest whim of yours had not long ago passed?"

"Whim!" Tessa returned in shock. "Richie is a child, mother. He is not a whim!"

"I know that he isn't a whim, Tessa. I merely meant that your interest in him might have already passed. You have somewhat of a tendency to change your mind about what you want." Eugenia told her calmly.

Tessa, however, was not nearly so calm. "What on earth are you talking about, mother?"

"You can't stick to one thing for more than two minutes, Tessa. From college, to boyfriends, to jobs. You simply haven't discovered what you want yet. I thought, perhaps, this teenager was just another passing phase." The older woman replied.

Tessa was infuriated. "I have had the same job and been with the same man for years, mother."

"You aren't married, Tessa. And you have no real field of work." Eugenia retorted.

The daughter was disgusted with that argument. "I have been with Duncan for 12 years, mother. And I am very established in my career."

"You were going to be a lawyer, Tessa." Eugenia told her emphatically. "You could have married any number of respectable men."

"I never wanted to be a lawyer, mother. That was your dream, not mine. And Duncan is a respectable man." Tessa returned. "He has always treated me wonderfully."

"Wonderfully?" Eugenia repeated, disgusted by both the use of the word and the idea. "Not 'wonderfully' enough to marry you. Not 'wonderfully' enough to allow you to remain close to your family."

"You don't know either of us, mother." Tessa told her. "You don't know us at all."

"Oh, I know you, Tessa." Eugenia replied. "I know you a lot better than you would ever care to admit."

"You never were good at sticking to the point." Tessa replied sullenly.

Eugenia wasn't thrown by this change of topics in the least. "Oh? And, what, exactly is the point?"

"My marital status has nothing to do with Richie." The younger woman retorted.

Her mother showed quite a bit of emotion at that statement. "Where is your head, Tessa? Your relationship with that boy has everything to do with your not being married. He isn't yours. Don't you understand that? You have absolutely no right to him."

"He's Duncan and mine." The daughter returned hotly.

Eugenia was not impressed. "Really? You have joint custody?"

"That isn't the point." Tessa started to reply.

He mother quickly interrupted. "It's the entire point, Tessa. What if something happened between you? If you and Duncan broke up? You would have absolutely no claim on the boy."

"Duncan would never do that to me!" The younger woman replied indignantly. "He loves Richie and I too much to keep us apart."

"If that's what you need to believe to be able to sleep at night." Her mother answered quietly. "I simply cannot condone you setting yourself up for such heartache. And I certainly am not going to allow myself to become attached to someone who might be out of your life forever by tomorrow morning."

"That right there is your problem, mother. You won't allow yourself to get attached to anyone or anything! Tessa returned hotly.

Eugenia shot back immediately. "You live in the clouds, Tessa. You don't understand anything."

"I understand that I have two men who need me." The younger woman replied, turning on her heals as she spoke. "Excuse me while I go see about them."

* * *

As the teenager looked around the grandiose bathroom, he focused his attention on anything but the Immortal that was accompanying him. He had no idea what to say to the man.

Duncan, however, didn't seem to have a great deal of interest in conversing at that exact moment. As soon as the butler produced Richie's bag, the Immortal immediately busied himself pulling fresh clothes from it, finding towels and generally organizing the restroom. It was not until Richie himself broke the silence that hung between him that the Immortal began to engage in conversation.

"I'm sorry." Richie finally said, in barely above a whisper.

Duncan, however, had razor sharp hearing. "Sorry for what?"

"Causing such a scene." The teen replied, looking at the ancient for the first time since they were escorted to their present location.

Duncan sighed audibly at the boy's reply. "Richie, I don't care about any 'scene.' I am fairly curious about how you ended up outside in the first place, though."

As the Immortal sat down on the edge of the bathtub and looked up expectantly at the boy, Richie found himself at a loss of how to explain himself to the man. After all, how is a person supposed to explain something he doesn't even understand himself?


	10. Settling In

"Rich?" The Immortal prompted when the boy remained silent.

The teen looked up at him, vulnerability evident in his eyes. "They thought I was the bag boy."

"Bag boy?" Duncan repeated, not understanding the reference.

Richie nodded his head thoroughly. "Yeah, like the guy who carries your luggage."

"Oh." Duncan replied, not quite sure what to say about that. "And how did that result in you being outside with the gardener?"

"He tipped me and held open the door." Richie said with a shrug. "It was just awkward and I didn't know what to do, so I just walked out. Next thing I knew I was outside with the gardener."

"You don't know what to do, you come get me." Duncan looked up at him seriously, pulling the bar of soap out of the wrapper and placing it in the tub as he spoke.

Richie stared down at his feet briefly. "Everything was so chaotic. And you seemed to be getting along okay with Tessa's mother. I didn't want to mess that up."

"And how did that work out for you?" The Immortal asked evenly.

The teen sat down dejectedly on the closed toilet lid. "Not great. I know."

"You always come to me." The Scotsman told him adamantly, crouching down in front of the teen and tugging at his shoelaces. "I'm never too busy for you."

After a few moments of uncomfortable silence, Duncan questioned gently. "You okay?"

"I made quite a scene out there, huh?" Richie asked uncomfortably.

Duncan looked up at him briefly as he pulled at the heel of the sneaker. "Well, as first impressions go."

"That's what I thought." Richie answered sullenly.

Pulling off one of the mud caked socks; the Scotsman shrugged his shoulders. "Don't freak out. It was just Tessa's parents and us. And they're much more interested in what Tessa's doing than in any mess you make."

"All right." The boy replied hesitantly.

Pulling the muddy shirt over the teen's head, Duncan questioned casually. "You hurt?"

"I'll live." Richie replied in a tone that was far from convincing.

The Immortal turned him side-to-side, examining carefully. "I can't see anything. You're absolutely filthy."

"I'm okay." The boy reassured him.

"Does you hurt anywhere?" Duncan questioned.

Richie didn't quite meet the Immortal's eye. "No."

When the teen was only provided a skeptical look, he quickly continued. "I'm a bit scratched up but I'm okay. Really."

"All right." Duncan replied, finally reassured by the more honest reply. Moving on to the teen's sodden jeans, he relented. "But I want to check you over better after your shower."

"Fine." Richie replied, pulling away from the Immortal. "Go get yourself cleaned up."

"I'll be back in 20 minutes." Duncan told him, smiling slightly at the teen's insistence on independence.

"Fine." Richie replied, guiding the man towards the door. "Just go."

As the Immortal allowed himself to be forced out the door, he couldn't resist questioning the teen. "You're sure you don't need any help?"

"Out!" Richie insisted, shutting the door in the Scotsman's face.

Duncan turned away, meeting the gaze of his approaching lover. "Is he all right?"

"He's fine." The Scotsman assured her.

Tessa, however, was not quite pacified. "Are you sure? He wouldn't speak up if he was really hurt."

"I know." Duncan reassured her. "I think he's just got some bumps and bruises, though. I'll check him over better once he's cleaned up."

"All right." Tessa relented, willing to accept that reply.

Duncan changed the topic. "How are your parents?"

"Don't get me started." The Frenchwoman replied with a roll of her eyes.

Nodding towards a vacant room, Duncan pressed. "We ought to talk."

As he pulled the door shut behind them, Duncan contemplated the best way to get Tessa talking.

That contemplation quickly proved unnecessary. "She is impossible!"

"It's all right." The Scotsman soothed quickly.

Tessa, however, was far from soothed. "Do you know what she said to me? My own mother. Do you know what she said to me?"

As Duncan opened his mouth to reply, Tessa continued. "She thinks that you're going to leave me and take Richie."

"Tessa, you know I would never do that." The Immortal assured her.

Receiving an unimpressed look from the Frenchwoman. "That's not the point. My own mother thinks I'm so worthless that I can't even keep you around. She acts as though I'm dirt."

"You are not dirt." Duncan told her, slowly reaching out for the woman. "I love you. Richie loves you. And your mother loves you; she just doesn't know how to show it."

"I can't do this." Tessa told the Immortal as she melted into his arms. "I can't get through three weeks here."

"Of course you can." He reassured her. "We'll get through it together."

"It isn't fair to Richie to expose him to this." The Frenchwoman replied.

"It's good that he meet your family. It'll show him that we want him in all aspects of our lives." The Immortal responded.

Tessa looked up at the man, unconvinced. "I just wanted to show him that he was a real part of a true family. Now I'm afraid that being here is just going to scar him."

"It's good he sees different types of families." Duncan reassured her. "Hopefully this trip will help him see that he's a part of our family. Being away from the comforts of home should give him a chance to bond to us."

"I hope so." Tessa replied hesitantly.

Duncan kissed her on top of the head. "Speaking of families, isn't it about time we faced yours?"

"We better go check on Richie first." Tessa replied, heading in the direction of the bathroom.

Only to be pulled back by the Immortal. "You don't really think he's going to let you check on him do you?"

"Well..." Tessa replied.

Duncan smiled at his lover's unsuccessful attempt to avoid her family as long as possible. "Why don't you go find out where our rooms are? You look beat and I'm guessing Richie is as ready to crash as I am. I'll go check on him. You, young lady, go face your parents."

"All right." Tessa replied, imitating Richie's defeated whine.


	11. No Room In The Inn

Trudging down the hallway to find her family, Tessa was startled by the sudden appearance of her mother. "How are your 'men'?"

The younger woman took a deep breath, trying to convince herself that her mother's tone was neither condescending nor sarcastic. "They're fine. A bit tired though. We've had a long trip and I think we are all a bit jet lagged."

"Of course." Eugenia replied, actually providing Tessa with what she thought to be a genuine smile. "Lunch will be served 20 minutes but you can certainly lie down after that."

"Wonderful." Tessa smiled in relief. "Which rooms are we in?"

"We?" Eugenia said with an air of innocence.

Her daughter gave the woman a suspicious look. "Yes, Richie, Duncan and I."

"As I pointed out earlier, you never mentioned you were bringing guests." Eugenia said evenly.

Tessa took a deep breath. She should have known that things were going too well between them. "And?"

"And the entire family is coming." The elder woman replied.

Her daughter took another deep breath before responding. "And?"

"And we don't have any extra rooms." Eugenia informed her.

Tessa was dumbfounded. "There are 12 bedrooms in this house, mother."

"Yes, and we had to bring in extra staff, and store supplies for the party and your aunts and uncles are coming with their families." Eugenia began explaining.

"You knew I was coming." Tessa interrupted, unimpressed with the argument

"You. Not two other guests." Eugenia replied.

Her daughter was not impressed. "There is not one extra room in this entire house that Richie can stay in?"

"Not one." The elder Noel answered simply.

Tessa was far from happy. "Fine. We will go to a hotel."

"Oh, Tessa, don't be ridiculous. There isn't a hotel for 30 miles. And what would people think?" Eugenia replied in annoyance.

Tessa was beyond simple annoyance however; she was livid. "What do you suggest then, mother?"

"I suppose your friends can sleep on the couches in the foyer." Eugenia attempted compromise.

That form of compromise was far from acceptable for her daughter. "Richie is not sleeping in the foyer." She paused briefly. "Is that couch still in my bedroom?"

"Of course." Her mother replied, startled by the question. "The room hasn't changed."

"And I assume that is the room you had reserved for me?" Tessa continued, all business now.

Her mother still was not following her line of reasoning, however. "Of course."

"Good. Then it's settled."

"What's settled?" Eugenia couldn't resist asking.

Tessa replied immediately. "Richie will sleep in my old bedroom with Duncan and I."

"What? Tessa, that's ludicrous." Eugenia began.

Her daughter, however, quickly interrupted. "It's decided. I'm going to go find them so we can be ready for dinner."

As she watched Tessa abruptly retreat, Eugenia faltered as she called after her daughter. "But, Tessa. The three of you can't all stay in one…"

"Don't worry, mother." Tessa feigned casualty as she called over her shoulder. "We'll be on time for lunch."

* * *

As Tessa rounded the corner, Duncan could immediately tell that she had not had a pleasant family encounter.

"Tessa?" He questioned hesitantly.

The Frenchwoman stopped immediately in front of the pair and turned her attention on Richie. "Is he all right?"

Duncan flinched at the harsh tone the woman used. He had no doubt it was intimidating Richie. "He'll be fine."

"Good." She replied, turning back around once more. "Come on, it's time for lunch."

"Coming." Duncan replied, exchanging a questioning glance with Richie before placing a reassuring hand on the teen's shoulder and following Tessa down the hallway.

* * *

Duncan had fervently hoped that a good meal would raise Tessa's spirit. Instead, it had further dampened them. After a five-course meal with far too many utensils, Richie was not the only one overwhelmed. Tessa had entire too much family bonding.

As the exhausted woman led the way into the bedroom, Duncan noticed that all three sets of luggage were already in the room. Tessa, however, seemed to be focusing on something else entirely. "Richie, get changed."

"What?" The teen answered, thoroughly confused. "Where?"

"Take some sweats and a t-shirt and go change in the bathroom." Tessa told him, pointing impatiently at a door towards the back of the mammoth room.

As Richie pulled the bathroom door shut behind him, Duncan immediately turned his attention to Tessa. "One room?"

"Mother claims she didn't 'know' I would be bringing guests. Apparently, there are no other rooms." Tessa replied, the distain evident in her voice.

"Oh." Duncan replied simply, unsure of what to say.

Tessa wasn't at the same loss for words. "I told her we would share."

"I see." Duncan once again replied simply.

Tessa gave him an impatient look. "Richie will just have to sleep on the couch. It was either that or in the foyer."

"Speaking of Richie." Duncan began gently.

The Frenchwoman looked over at him suspiciously. "What about him?"

"You might want to work on being less harsh with him." Duncan replied cautiously, half expecting the woman to blow up at him.

Tessa, however, remained surprisingly calm. "I'm not harsh with him."

"Every time you see your mother, you get snippy." Duncan said, once again mentally preparing for an imminent explosion.

"Of course I get snippy. She drives me insane." Tessa told him.

The Immortal was startled. "I know. But Richie doesn't get that. He thinks you're upset with him."

"All right." Tessa said thoughtfully. "I'll try and behave myself."

"Really?" Duncan replied; shocked by the ease with which Tessa was handling the conversation.

He received a slight smile. "I know it isn't fair to take these things out on you and Richie."

"Have I mentioned how much I love you?" The Immortal asked, wrapping his arms around the woman.

Tessa smiled up at him. "Not lately."

Just as Duncan moved in to kiss her, the bathroom door opened. Richie looked on awkwardly. "So, where do I sleep?"

"I'm afraid you'll have to rough it for a few days. You don't mind the couch terribly do you?" Tessa looked at him.

Richie shrugged noncommittally. "Which couch?"

"The one in here." The woman replied simply.

The teen was wary. "With you guys?"

"You don't mind terribly?" Tessa's brow creased with worry.

Once again, Richie shrugged. "I don't mind. I'm not sure how well you two will do, though."

As Duncan groaned and rolled his eyes, Tessa continued to press. "You're okay with it then?"

"I've slept a lot worse places, Tess." Richie replied without thinking.

A stabbing pain shot through both Duncan and Tessa's hearts. Duncan replied first. "Why don't you nap, Rich? You look beat."

"I sure am." Richie replied, allowing himself to be directed towards the king-sized bed.

As he snuggled his head in between the two oversized pillows, he mumbled almost incoherently. "I'm gonna go lie on the couch."

"You are Rich. Go to sleep now." Duncan told him gently, before stepping away from the bed to find his own comfortable clothes from his suitcase.

A few minutes later, as he stepped out of the bathroom, he couldn't help but smile at the sight before him. Richie was sound asleep with his head burrowed between the pillows, and Tessa, just as deeply unconscious, was to the boy's left with her arm tossed across him. As Duncan careful eased himself onto the other side of the mattress, he was not the least bit surprised with how quickly peaceful slumber overcame him as well.


	12. Father Son Relationships

An abrupt brightness in the room very unwillingly brought about Tessa's consciousness. Squinting at the blinding light, the young woman lifted herself up on one elbow and turned her attention to the figure looming in the doorway. Despite her surprise, Tessa had enough sense to whisper her question, as she did not wish to wake either Duncan or Richie. "What is it, mother?"

"You need to get up." Eugenia replied, eying the sleeping arrangements with disgust. "We have a photographer coming in 20 minutes."

"What time is it?" Tessa questioned groggily.

Her mother answered quickly. "2:40."

"What's going on?" Richie mumbled drowsily, partially opening his eyes.

Tessa gently ran her hand through his hair, hoping to keep him from completely waking. "Shh. Go back to sleep."

As the teen shut his eyes, Tessa turned her attention back to her mother. "It hasn't even been an hour."

"There are plans, Tessa. I can't simple cancel the photographer because you're a bit tired." Eugenia replied flatly.

Tessa was once again, thoroughly annoyed at her mother's lack of compassion. "A bit? Mother, we just traveled halfway across..."

"We'll be right out." Duncan's voice interrupted from the opposite side of the bed.

As Eugenia gave a clipped nod and headed out, Tessa and Duncan briefly made eye contact over Richie's head before forcing themselves up.

* * *

Walking along the path that lead away from the driveway, Richie was amazed by the beauty of the place. Despite the waterworks that had occurred there only hours earlier, the entire yard looked amazing. Mesmerized by the idea that all this belong to Tessa's family, Richie became lost in his thoughts. It was not until the gardener abruptly sat upright directly in his path, that Richie even noticed the man's presence.

Jumping at the sight of the man, Richie immediately turned and began heading in the opposite direction. However, the gardener's voice stopped him. "You don't have to go."

"Right." Richie replied, turning back to look at the man.

However, the gardener's expression was neutral. "I mean you no harm."

"Uh-huh." Richie replied, far from convinced.

The heavily accented man continued. "I thought you were an intruder, I was just defending the estate, surely you can understand that."

"All right." The teen replied, still wary.

The gardener was determined to disarm the boy. "The photography getting a bit old?"

"You can say that again." The teen readily agreed.

The man provided Richie the most innocent expression he could. "Would you like to help me here?"

"Why?" Richie asked, immediately suspicious.

The gardener gave a noncommittal shrug. "Why not?"

The teen warily joined him. After a few minutes of silence, the man once again addressed him. "You aren't bad at this."

"I like working with my hands." Richie said with a shrug, not looking up.

The gardener's heart leapt into his throat, though he managed to remain silent for a few more moments. Finally, he could no longer stand not knowing. As casually as he possibly could, he posed a question for the teen. "You've come here with Tessa, non?"

"No." Richie said, and then became frustrated by his mistake. "I mean, yeah. Yeah, I came with her. You know her?"

"Ahh." The gardener replied, trying his best to contain his excitement. "And the man with you, he is your father?"

"Sorta." Richie mumbled with a shrug, still unwilling to jinx the idea by saying it aloud. Things were too good to risk verbalizing it now. He quickly changed the subject back to his topic of interest. "So you know her?"

"From high school." The gardener replied, not wishing to reveal the details of their past just then. If Tessa had not seen fit to tell their son about him, now was not the right time for him to try and explain.

"Richie!" The voice from down the trail interrupted the man's thoughts.

"Gotta go." The teen said quickly, rising to join the man who had intruded upon the gardener's time with his son.

"Why?" The man couldn't stop himself from demanding.

Richie gave him a confused look before nodding in the direction of Duncan. The gardener couldn't help but question one last time, just to be sure. "He's not your father, though?"

Richie provided a slight shrug before heading down the trail. "Later."

Duncan didn't like the way the gardener stared at Richie's retreating back. He didn't like it at all. "What did he want?"

"Nothing." Richie replied with a shrug. "He seems okay."

"Come on." Duncan told him, putting a hand on the teen's back and guiding him towards the house. "We've leaving soon. Family trip."

Looking back over the teen's shoulder, Duncan just couldn't shake the suspicious feeling he had about that gardener.


	13. Grandparents

As the slow-moving bus halted to yet another stop with the driver spoke in rapid, unintelligible French, Richie began drumming his fingers along the back of the seat in front of him.

Eugenia Noel was not impressed with his rhythmic beat. "For heavens sakes, sit still."

"Sorry." Richie said quietly, immediately halting his drumming. A few minutes later, he subconsciously began the same tune with his feet.

Eugenia was no longer just unimpressed. She was annoyed. "Can you not sit still? Pay attention to the tour."

"Sorry." Richie mumbled, looking down. How on earth he had ended up seated next to the old bat was beyond him. He longed to be in the back of the bus, next to Duncan. He had no doubt the man would supply interesting translations of the tour, were he only in earshot.

"Eugenia," Her husband finally interjected on the teen's behalf. "He's a teenager, he isn't supposed to sit still. Especially not during a tour in a foreign language."

"This is highly educational." The wife returned. "And if he is supposed to be a Noel, he is going to have to learn French."

Richie's mouth nearly hit the floor when the family matriarch responded to his wife by rolling his eyes. The man leaned over to him and whispered. "What do you say we get out at the next stop? Find something more interesting to do?"

"Well, um," Richie stuttered, looking over his shoulder to see if he could spot Duncan or Tessa.

Aldrich seemed to read his mind. "Don't worry. I'll square it with your mum and dad. I have a bit of experience at convincing your mother to see things my way, you know."

Richie nodded silently, not quite sure what to make of the concept of an outing with the man. He tried to shake off the anticipation. After all, it couldn't possibly be worst than the tour he was currently on.

* * *

Following behind the Noel matriarch, Duncan found himself fervently wishing he had been called into battle against another Immortal. After all, it would be the one excuse Tessa would accept for him leaving. Anything would be better than this. As her mother moved out of earshot, Duncan addressed his lover. "Is Richie back yet?"

"Papa said he'd meet us here for lunch." Tessa replied casually.

MacLeod, however, was not as calm. "We're going to be eating soon. Do you think something happened? Could they be lost?"

"I'm sure they're fine, Duncan." Tessa told him with a patient smile. "Don't worry. Papa will take good care of Richie."

As he followed Tessa into the parlor, the protective father couldn't quite allow himself to accept her assurances entirely.

* * *

As the loud pair bound into the house, oblivious to the formal meal taking place in the dining room, Eugenia Noel's demanding voice stopped the laughing and horseplay immediately. "Aldrich Noel, where on earth have you been?"

"Eugenia?" The man replied, stepping into the grandiose room without a hint of intimidation or embarrassment. "You started without us?"

"Dinner was served 20 minutes ago, as well you knew. You are late and filthy." The woman replied, looking over the sweaty man and his young companion in disgust.

Aldrich was unfazed. "We'll go shower and change. With the rate meals go around here, we'll be back for the main course." He replied, waving for Richie to follow as he retreated.

As the pair trotted out of the room, Duncan leaned over to Tessa. "He looked happy."

"My father tends to have that effect." Tessa replied with a smile.

* * *

Two continuously tense hours later; Duncan was more than ready to retire for the night. Sorting through his bag and arranging the room, the man casually addressed the teen sitting nonchalantly on the edge of the bed watching him. "So you had a good time with Aldrich today?"

"It's too early to go to bed." Richie told him flatly.

Duncan attempted to conceal the slight smile that graced his lips as he listened to the argument that Richie seemed to constantly be raising. He kept his tone very neutral. "You're not tired?"

"It's just the idea." Richie trailed off.

Duncan smiled openly now. "Yeah, yeah, I know."

"Are you making fun of me?" Richie accused.

Duncan had to pause. He didn't want to bruise the already too fragile esteem Richie had been slowly building. But he didn't want to walk on pins and needles around him either. "Yep."

When Richie didn't seem frazzled, Duncan pressed again. "So you had fun out with Aldrich today?"

"Yep." The boy replied simply.

The Scotsman was not fully satisfied. "So what did you two do?"

"Played basketball." Richie stated.

Duncan did his best to hide his surprise. "Good. So I take it you're over the whole 'bagboy' incident?"

"Long forgotten." Richie said quickly.

A little too quickly for Duncan's taste. "Rich?"

"Where's Tess?" The teen deflected.

"Gossiping with the housekeeper. Rich?" The Immortal pressed.

Richie shrugged noncommittally. "It's not like he's the first person to make a mistake like that."

Duncan sighed deeply. The depths of Richie's low self-esteem continued to trouble the man. "What am I going to do with you, little boy?"

When Richie just shrugged and looked away, Duncan deemed it best to forestall the conversation. They both needed rest more than anything. Walking over to the couch and arranging the blankets and pillow, he looked back over at the teen. "Come on, bedtime."

When Richie came over and climbed under the covers without protest, Duncan knew the teen had to be as tired as he was. He was completely convinced of that fact when Richie allowed him to tuck the blankets around him without the slightest protest.

Richie looked up at him tiredly. "Night."

"Good night, partner." Duncan replied, tucking the blankets around him even more securely. Leaning over to plant a kiss on the boy's forehead, he repeated the phrase he had been saying to the boy every night, referring to himself by the title the teen had yet to honor him with. "Dad loves you."

But this night, to Duncan's amazement, Richie didn't flush or look away at that comment. He simply smiled slightly and contently closed his eyes. Looking down at his peaceful child, Duncan couldn't stop the hope from flaring in his chest that this trip would bring them closer together after all.


	14. Chasing Away Nightmares

As the small Noel troop trudged ahead, talking and laughing, Richie found himself lagging behind slightly, watching as the group interacted with ease. Just as they started to round the corner into the large family garden, the teen noticed that his shoe was untied. Leaning down briefly to resecure the lace, Richie was startled when he looked up. Everyone had already crossed the bridge and was on their way onto a plane. Hurrying to catch up, he had taken a few steps onto the bridge before he realized that there was a boat coming and the plank was rising.

Desperately, the boy called out. "Mac, Tessa."

As the couple looked back, Richie sighed in relief. It was Duncan who addressed him first. "What are you doing over there? We're leaving."

"I'm stuck, the bridge is up." The teen told the man.

Tessa shook her head in annoyance. "The plane's leaving, Richie. We aren't going to wait around forever. Hurry up."

"But the bridge, I can't get across." Richie replied worriedly. "It'll just be a minute."

"You should have thought of that before, Richie. Now we'll just have to leave without you." Duncan told him mildly, following Tessa and her parents onto the plane.

Richie called after him desperately, willing the bridge to go down so he could catch up to them. "Please, Mac. Please, wait."

"Goodbye, Richie." Duncan called to him through the window as the plane flew off, leaving the boy stranded behind.

Reaching up in desperation, the teen was inches away from being able to grab onto the bottom of the plane as it flew off.

"Mac, please, don't leave me." Richie cried out desperately, tears welling in his eyes as he found himself standing alone in the garden, the plane long gone.

"Mac. Mac."

"Shh. Shh. It's all right. Everything's okay." Duncan's soothing voice broke in.

Cautiously easing his eyes opened, Richie was more than a little relieved to see the Immortal sitting on the edge of the couch, worriedly leaning over him. Shaking his head to get the confusion of sleep out of his system, Richie tentatively questioned the man. "What's going on?"

"It's all right, Richie. I'm here now. You just had a bad dream." The Immortal, who was leaning over the teen and reassuringly stroking his hair, answered patiently.

Slowly, the reality of his surrounding was being to set in for the teen. Realizing that he had just woken the Immortal with a nightmare, Richie quickly turned towards the couch in embarrassment. His voice was incredibly sheepish as he replied. "Sorry I woke you up."

"Hey, come on now." Duncan squeezed his arm reassuringly. "You know you shouldn't be sorry. What happened?"

"Nothing." Richie replied quickly, flipping over on his stomach and turning his head into the couch. "I'm fine. Go back to sleep."

"Richie." The Immortal said softly, resting a hand gently on the small of the teen's back.

The boy sighed into the couch cushion. "Go back to sleep. We're gonna wake up Tessa."

"Do you remember what happened?" The Scotsman pressed, ignoring Richie's pleas for him to let the issue drop.

The child was not exactly forthcoming, however. "I had a nightmare."

"I know." Duncan replied, patiently waiting for the teen to continue. When that didn't happen, he gently began to rub the boy's back. "What was it about?"

When Richie simply shrugged his shoulders silently, the Immortal continued to prod. "You were calling for me." He started gently. "Was I in it?"

The silent nod was plenty of incentive for Duncan to continue his questioning. "Was it just you and I?"

"No."

One-word answers. At least that was better than silence. The Immortal took it as progress. "Was Tessa there?"

"Yeah." Richie tentatively admitted.

This further inspired Duncan's form of 20-questions. "It was just the three of us?"

"Her parents were there, too." Richie admitted, turning his head away from the couch to be better able to respond.

Duncan nodded quickly. "Where were we?"

"Well, we started out here. In the garden, I think." The teen told him, shifting onto his side to give Duncan more room.

"Gardening?" The Immortal questioned.

Richie smiled slightly at that. "Nah. Just walking. But then I fell behind and when I looked up, you were on the other side of the bridge."

"The bridge? In the garden?" Duncan pressed.

Richie gave him a puzzled look. "Yeah, I looked away for a minute and we were at the bridge. I was on one side but you were on the other and I couldn't get to you."

"Why not?" The Immortal asked patiently.

Richie had to think about it for a minute, as the dream that had seemed so real suddenly became fuzzy. "There was a boat, I think. And I couldn't get over it."

"What happened?" The Immortal gently pressed.

Richie didn't need too much incentive to continue his story now, though. He was thoroughly immersed in the memory. "I called for you to wait, but you said I was too slow and you were going to leave me."

"Leave you?" Duncan repeated, his desire to draw out the true meaning behind Richie's nightmare suddenly intensifying. "Why would I leave you?"

"You were late and the plane was leaving. I tried to get across but there was a boat and you wouldn't wait. I really tried, but I couldn't get there in time and you left me." Richie looked up at him, hurt filling his eyes.

"I would never, ever leave you, Richie. You know that." Duncan told him firmly, doing his best to reason and reassure against an unreasonable and destabilizing nightmare.

Looking into the ancient's eyes, Richie suddenly realized that he was talking about a dream. "Yeah, sure." The teen blubbered in embarrassment at his foolishness. "Of course. It was just a dream. They never make any sense, anyways."

"Richie, I am never going to abandon you." The Immortal continued, completely ignoring the teen's attempt to make light of the intensity of his fears. "You're stuck, partner. As long as I walk this earth, I'm going to be walking it next to you."

"Yeah." Richie replied quietly, half questioning and half repeating, as a mixture of joy and embarrassment turned his cheeks pink enough to be noticeable even in the dark room.

Duncan, though, was not the least bit embarrassed. "Yeah." He repeated firmly, pulling Richie's weight off the couch and onto him.

More than a little reassured, the teen's pride demanded to be heard in the form of a protest. "Come on, put me down. I'm not a little kid."

"Shh." Duncan told him firmly, leaning back into the couch and adjusting the teen to a more solid position in his lap. "I'm busy here."

That response was not exactly what Richie had expected. "Busy? Busy doing what?"

"Holding my son." The Immortal told him flatly.

Taken off guard by the comment, the teen didn't even realize he should be embarrassed by it for a good ten seconds. By that time, protesting it seemed futile. Besides, what was the point really? He was tired and suddenly felt very comfortable where he was. Leaning into the Immortal, he even allowed the next few words out of Duncan's mouth to go unprotested.

"It's all right, baby. Go to sleep. Daddy's got you." The Immortal told him quietly, gently stroking the boy's hair as he drifted into a much more pleasant dream.


	15. Touring

Rolling over to fend off the blinding light seeping in between the slits in the blinds, Richie's face met abruptly with the side of the couch. Letting out a slight groan at the rudeness of the awakening, the teen shifted over to face the light once more and slowly eased himself into an upright position. As he looked around to take in his surroundings, the reality of where he was quickly returned. Staring at the large bed in the center of the room, the teen was overcome with the abject realization of the events from earlier that night.

He was more than a little relieved to find himself alone to wallow in his embarrassment. That relief, however, was quite momentary. As Duncan walked back into the bedroom, he found himself unable to look the man in the eye.

That embarrassment momentarily escaped the Immortal. "Good, you're up. I was just coming in to get you."

"I'm up." Richie replied flatly, looking through his bag for some fresh clothes to wear.

Watching him curiously, Duncan wasn't quite sure how to take the stiff response. "We're going to the art museum in about 45 minutes. Hurry up and get around so you can get some breakfast before we go."

"Sure." The teen replied, once again not meeting the man's eye.

The Scotsman was now certain something was wrong. "All right, Rich. What's up?"

"What?" The boy replied, pulling out clothes and walking towards the bathroom.

Duncan, however, gently grasped his wrist. "You tell me. What's wrong? Something's going through that head of yours."

"Nothing." Richie replied, forcing himself to look at the man with a smile.

The Immortal was far from convinced. "Uh-uh. I know better than to let this go. Next thing I know you'll be climbing the roof or something equally ridiculous because you think that's what I want."

"Funny." The boy replied.

Duncan looked down at him. "I'm not joking. What's up?"

"Really, I'm fine." The teen insisted.

The reply only earned him a patronizing look. "You won't look me in the eye."

"But." Richie finally admitted to himself that the Immortal wasn't going to let this go. Duncan MacLeod was more than a little persistent. "I'm just sort of embarrassed, all right?"

"About what?" The Immortal questioned.

Richie once again turned about twelve shades of red. "Last night."

"Richie." Duncan couldn't suppress a slight smile. "You know you shouldn't be."

"I'm sorry I flipped out on you." The teen replied, once again looking down at the clothing he was holding.

Duncan took the items from his hands. "You didn't flip out on me. You had a nightmare."

"And I was a total wuss about it." Richie replied dejectedly. "I'm tougher than that, I shouldn't have acted like such a little kid on you."

"Hey, Richie?" The Immortal addressed him casually.

The teen still avoided direct eye contact. "Yeah?"

"How old am I?" Duncan questioned neutrally.

Causing the teen to look up at him. "What?"

"How old am I?" Duncan slowly annunciated the words.

Richie stared at him. "400?"

"So that makes me, what, 25, 30 times your age?" Duncan questioned.

Richie paused for a moment. "26 and 2/3."

"Right." Duncan said with a slight smile, having absolutely no idea whether or not the teen was correct but somehow knowing the boy's math was accurate.

After a brief pause, Richie finally allowed his curiosity to win out. "So?"

"So, you're just going to have to get used to the idea that you're gonna be a 'little kid' to me for quite a while." The Scotsman informed him.

"Great." The teen replied sarcastically.

Duncan looked down at him. "You're just gonna have to cope, partner. Try to look at the up side."

"What's that?" Richie feigned interest.

Wrapping a reassuring arm around the teen, he looked down at him fondly. "You're _my_ little kid, now."

"Thanks." Richie replied quietly, once again turning slightly pink.

Duncan rapped him fondly on top of the head. "Stop thanking me!"

Handing the teen back his clothes and giving him a gentle push in the direction of the bathroom, he added for good measure. "Hurry up and get around. We have a long day ahead of us and I want a good breakfast in you."

"Yes, sir." The teen replied with a mock salute before scurrying out of the room.

* * *

Duncan found himself trailing behind the group slightly, amazed at the sight before him. For the past two hours, Tessa and her mother had not only been civil to one another, but they actually seemed to be enjoying each other's company. As the three males in the group had politely followed silently behind, the two women examined and critiqued each piece with a passion that could hardly have been feigned politeness.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Aldrich's voice pulled the Immortal out of his thoughts.

Duncan looked back at him curiously. "What's that?"

"How they can be at each other's throats one minute and like this the next." He replied with a nod of the head in the two women's direction.

The Immortal nodded in agreement, slightly surprised at the Noel patriarch's sharing in his thoughts. "It is amazing."

"Not unlike that boy of yours." The man replied, nodding in Richie's direction.

Duncan smiled at the compliment. "I've been meaning to thank you for giving him so much attention."

"Nonsense." The Frenchman replied. "I quite enjoyed my time with the lad. He is the first Noel grandchild, you know."

"I'm glad." Duncan replied sincerely, touched to hear Tessa's father refer to the teen as his grandchild. "He deserves a grandfather."

"Well, that certainly sets this up nicely." Aldrich replied.

"This?" Duncan repeated, immediately on his guard.

Aldrich gave him a slight smile. "I was hoping you'd let me sneak him off early. Head back to the house."

"Why?" The Immortal questioned before he thought better of it.

The Frenchman wasn't offended, though. He had to admit to himself that he actually somewhat admired the protective way the Scotsman acted with the lad. "I thought I'd give him a tour, maybe play some basketball with him. This is a bit dull and I was hoping for an excuse to get to know him better."

"Sure." Duncan replied, now more at ease with the conversation. "If Richie wants to, that's fine with me."

* * *

Taking in his surroundings, Richie was amazed at how comfortable he felt walking through the stables with Aldrich. There was just something about the way the Frenchman treated him that made the boy feel as if he had been a member of the family his entire life. Looking at the horses, Richie couldn't help but wonder what it would be like to live in a place that had it's very own barn. "So you like it here, don't you?"

"I do." Aldrich replied immediately, trying not to show the teen how taken off his guard he was by the question. "I love the land, I'm close to most of my family. What else could a man want?"

"Good." Richie finally replied, obviously lost in thought.

Aldrich examined him closely. "Good, eh?"

"Yeah, good." He managed before blurting out the rudest thing he ever could image saying to the stately gentleman. "How can you stand her?"

"Well," The Frenchman managed before bursting into a hearty laugh. "She's my wife, Richie."

"Of course." The boy replied quickly, mortified not only at his rude question but also at the fact that the Frenchman was crystal clear about whom he was referring to.

Exiting the stable and leading the way to the garden, Aldrich chose his next words carefully. "What did you think of Tessa when you were first getting to know her?"

"Tessa?" The teen replied hesitantly, not really wanting to admit to the woman's father what his early impressions had been. "Well, she was…"

"Rude? Harsh?" Aldrich filled in for him.

Richie looked up at the man in amazement. "Well."

"Tessa's much like her mother in that, Richie. Too rough. Too passionate. Much too opinionated for her own good. But she also has the same good heart. You just need to give them both a bit of time and a few extra chances."

"Sure." The teen replied quickly.

Aldrich smiled down at him. "Thank you."

Walking in momentary silence, Richie couldn't help but jump when Lamont suddenly appeared behind them. "Whoa."

"Lamont." Aldrich replied, his voice revealing that he was as stunned as his young companion. "Where on earth did you come from?"

"The house." The gardener quickly replied, purposefully misunderstanding the question. "One of the staff has had an accident, sir. I think it might be best if you come immediately."

"Of course." Aldrich replied, suddenly all business. "Come along, Richie."

The gardener, however, stopped him in his tracks. "Sir, if I may, it's quite bad. Perhaps it would be best if the boy didn't accompany you."

"Of course." The landowner replied, looking down at his vulnerable companion. "Stay with him, please, Lamont."

"Yes, sir." The man replied quickly.

Richie, however, wasn't convinced. "I really don't mind."

"No, child." Aldrich interrupted. "You wait here with Lamont. I don't want you involved. I'll send someone right back for you."

"All right." Richie replied hesitantly to the retreating figure before turning his attention to the gardener.

* * *

As the front door flew open with a resounding thud, Duncan, Tessa and Eugenia all turned to face the very sweaty Aldrich. "Who is it? Has an ambulance come?"

"What? Aldrich?" Eugenia questioned.

At the same time, Duncan asked warily. "Where's Richie?"

"Someone was badly injured. What happened?" The Frenchman told them adamantly.

His wife looked on at him in total confusion. "No one here is hurt, Aldrich. What on earth are you babbling about?"

"Lamont came to me and said a staff member was badly hurt and I should come straight away." Aldrich told them, becoming more and more confused.

Duncan, however, was seeing things horrifyingly clearly. "No one's hurt, Aldrich. Where is Richie?"

"Lamont said it was bad." The Frenchman replied slowly. "He said it would be best for the boy not to see."

"Where are they?" Duncan replied.

Tessa joined in with a horrified, "Where is he?"

"I left them at the stables." Aldrich managed, then looked on in amazement as Duncan sprinted out the door at lightning speed, with Tessa not far behind.


	16. Searching

As soon as he arrived at the stables, Duncan knew he was too late. Looking around in desperation, the surrounding oats and hay hardly provided comfort. As Tessa skidded to a breathless halt behind him, the Immortal looked on stoically. "We're too late."

"Duncan?" Tessa managed to gasp out.

The Immortal turned hard eyes on her. "Lamont has him."

"Richie?" The woman gasped out. "Why?"

"I don't know. But he does." The Immortal's voice was hard.

Tessa stared up at him. "What does he want?"

"Hell if I know. What does it matter? He has Richie, Tessa." The Scotsman replied darkly.

Tears welling in her eyes, the Frenchwoman asked desperately. "What now?"

"Now we get him back." Duncan replied, heading out of the barn with purpose.

The woman followed at his heals. "Where are you going? Mac?"

"Surely your parents have his address." The Immortal replied, continuing his quick pace towards the house.

"What address?" Eugenia, who was approaching from the opposite direction with her husband, interrupted.

Duncan was not in the least bit fazed. "We need Lamont's address."

"What on earth for?" The woman questioned.

The fire blazed in the Scotsman's eyes. "He has Richie. What's his address?"

"What would Lamont want with Richie?" Aldrich asked.

Tessa was the first to reply this time. "We don't know, Papa. But we need to find him. Please, do you know where Lamont lives?"

"Well, I'm sure we have that. I'm sure we must know." Aldrich struggled to keep up with the direction things were going.

"Go get his address!" Duncan finally shouted, no longer able to tolerate the time being lost.

The outburst snapped the man back to reality. Turning quickly, he went about his task. "Of course."

"How dare you?" Eugenia took up in her husband's defense. "Who do you think you are, talking to Aldrich Noel like that?"

"The man whose son was taken while Aldrich Noel was responsible for him." Duncan replied hotly, quickly losing his composure.

Tessa, however, was quick to regain control. "Enough! This is getting us nowhere."

"You're right. We're wasting time." At that, the Immortal turned on his heals and headed back towards the house, leaving the two women to momentarily face one another.

Eugenia was the first to break the silence. "He'll be fine, petite. You'll find him."

"I need to catch up with Duncan." Tessa's voice caught slightly as she turned back towards the house.

* * *

As the Immortal shrugged on his coat and grabbed the rent-a-car's keys, he was startled by his lover's presence. "Where are you going?"

"To find him." Duncan replied distractedly, holding up the paper with Lamont's address jotted on it.

Tessa looked at the frazzled man skeptically. "Do you even know where you're headed?"

"What?" The Immortal finally turned his attention to her, realizing that detail for the first time.

The Frenchwoman rolled her eyes as she, too, shrugged on a coat. "Come on, we're wasting time.

* * *

"Where the hell are we?" The tough guy motif was back in full force to serve the teenager.

Unfortunately, it only served to get him knocked three feet to collide hard with the wall. Lamont was livid. "I won't have you speaking like that."

As Richie slowly blinked the world back into focus, he was even more startled by the action the man took next. Crouching down in front of the frazzled teen, Lamont quickly took the boy's head in his hands. "I'm so sorry son, I just can't have you speaking like that."

As the man frantically pulled the teen to his chest, Richie was even more disturbed by the tone of the gardener's voice than the words themselves. "I know it isn't your fault, you mother never should have taken you from me. A boy needs a father to grow up in a good way. But I just can't allow it."

Clutching to the teen, he continued in his rambling. "Soon, it'll be as if we were always together. Your mother and I will get you on track. We'll all be happy soon."

"Mother?" Richie gasped out. "I don't have a mother."

"How dare you?" The gardener questioned, abruptly shoving the boy away from him and back into the wall. "Your mother is a sweet, beautiful woman who deserves your loyalty at the very least."

"Tessa?" Richie gasped out, accurately guessing who Lamont was referring to as the gardener struggling to catch his breath. "Look man, Tessa's great. But she's not my mother. I swear."

"Stop lying to me! I am your father. I will not have you lying to me!" The man thundered, once again preparing to land a deafening blow.

* * *

"This is it?" Duncan questioned, looking on skeptically at what he would generously classify as a shack. "You're sure?"

"This is the number." Tessa replied, skepticism equally evident in her voice.

Duncan slowly eased the door open. "Wait here."

* * *

Throwing open the door, his katana at the ready, Duncan found himself face to face with an empty shack. Looking around at the remnants of a quickly deserted home, the Immortal found himself desperately searching for some clue as to Richie's whereabouts. It was then that his eyes lit upon the ticket stubs. Snatching up the remnants, it only took him a moment to find the information he was looking for. Sprinting back out of the shack, the Immortal desperately hoped Tessa would know where the station was. If they had to return to the house for directions, they would lose valuable time.

* * *

Lying motionlessly in the corner, hoping desperately that his feigned unconsciousness would fool the Frenchman, Richie was more than a little relieve when he heard the retreating footsteps. He was safe; for now. 


	17. Waiting

As Duncan rounded the corner at a ridiculously high rate of speed, he was more than a little annoyed to see the row of police cars lining the driveway. Of all the things he had not wanted to do, contacting the authorities was at the top of his list.

"Oh, Lord." Tessa mumbled from the passenger seat. "Now what?"

"Now we lose precious hours of searching to deal with this." Duncan replied, pulling to a stop near the front door.

Tessa quickly opened her door, defending her parents as she stepped onto the drive. "Perhaps the police can help, Duncan. They are certainly far more equipped than we are for this sort of thing."

"Yes, and I'm sure they have plenty of time-consuming forms to prove it." The Immortal replied shortly.

The Frenchwoman gave him a sideways glance. "Duncan."

"It's public now, Tess." The man told her shortly. "There's no way for me to handle it quietly."

"Handle it?" Tessa repeated, not at all comfortable with what the Immortal's tone suggested. "What exactly do you mean by 'handle it?'"

Duncan, however, was done with that particular conversation. Pushing open the front door, he walked in to face the barrage of police in silence.

* * *

As the officer nodded and walked back to the point location that had consumed the kitchen, Tessa eagerly approached Duncan to find out what, exactly, was going on. Pushing her way through the crowd of people that now loitered about the foyer, she impatiently demanded an explanation. "Well?"

"Huh?" Duncan asked dumbly, his focus clearly not on the woman at his side despite his gaze being in her direction.

Tessa was not feeling patient. "Damn it, Duncan!"

"What?" The man turned his full attention to the enraged woman, as did the majority of the people in the room.

She far from cared about public perception, however. "What did the officer tell you?"

"They're tracing the ticket stubs. Hopefully, they can figure out where they're from. Maybe get a lead on his plans." The Immortal replied.

Tessa wasn't appeased. "And? Until then?"

"Until then we wait." Duncan told her flatly.

* * *

"Well?" The Scotsman demanded as the primary officer once again joined the couple.

Looking skeptically at the woman to MacLeod's left, the detective hesitated in his response.

"It's fine." Duncan replied impatiently.

Nodding in understanding, the officer addressed him. "We traced Mr. Deville's purchase."

"Purchase?" Duncan repeated, not completely understanding the reference.

The officer paused briefly in his explanation. "Three tickets matching the stubs you found were purchased on Mr. Deville's credit card. We traced them to a flight on Tuesday."

"Three?" Duncan repeated.

The officer nodded. "Apparently Mr. Deville is planning to leave the country with his wife, Tessa, and their son, Aldrich Jr., early Tuesday morning."

* * *

Slowly prying his eyes open, Richie was overcome with a new wave of dread as he immediately made eye contact with his captor. He silently cursed himself for his stupidity. He had thought for sure that the man had left the room. How could he be so careless?

"Good morning." The gardener gave him a wide smile at the contact. "It's about time you woke up. We have a big day ahead of us."

"Big day?" Richie repeated groggily, struggling to sit up despite the throbbing pain in his neck and back.

Lamont once again smiled at him. "Your mother will be joining us today."

* * *

"No way." Duncan told the man darkly.

The officer, however, was used to dealing with terrified individuals. He wasn't the least bit fazed by MacLeod's attitude. "Please, sir, in situations like this you must be patient."

"Patient my ass." Duncan interrupted the man. "You're wasting my time. RICHIE's time."

"Sir, you don't quite understand. I'm not saying we're simply going to wait. We have people out searching as we speak. We just need to be careful." The officer continued.

"Careful." Duncan scoffed, disgusted with the word choice.

The officer once again addressed the man patiently. "Sir, it appears that Mr. Deville is somewhat delusional. He seems to believe that your son and girlfriend are his family."

"Does he want to be me?" Duncan asked hesitantly.

The officer shrugged. "We simply don't have enough information to say. It does appear as though he has created a fantasy life around them. Hopefully, he'll maintain that delusion long enough to get your son away from him."

"What does that mean?" Tessa finally interjected.

"Mr. Deville's most likely highly unstable, ma'am. There's no telling what he might do if he feels he's losing control of his 'family.'"

* * *

"What do you mean, joining us?" Richie asked warily, suddenly fearing for Tessa more than himself.

The odd Frenchman once again smiled in reply. "Your maman's coming home today."

"What?" Richie's fear for the woman was greatly intensifying.

Lamont gave him an odd look. "Don't make me repeat myself, son."

"You've talked to Tessa?" Richie pressed on despite the warning.

The Frenchman's demeanor darkened immediately. "I told you not to call her that."

"Tessa is not my mother." The teen told him defiantly. "And you sure as hell aren't my father."

"That is enough!" Lamont thundered. "I will not have you being disrespectful towards us any longer!"

"You're nuts, man. I don't even know you." Richie retaliated, despite his better judgment.

Lamont's eyes flashed wildly. "I am your father, young man."

"You're not my father. You will NEVER be my father." Richie shot back.

The Frenchman started ranting hysterically. "Stop it! Stop lying! I'm your father."

"You're no one to me." Richie told him.

"Enough!" Lamont shouted, approaching the teen as the fire coursed through his veins.


	18. Helping

Everything looked so thin and tiny. The world wasn't always this little, was it? Richie remembered things as much bigger and wider.

After a very painful and completely unsuccessful attempt to shift to his side, the teen's current situation hit him like a ton of bricks. Well, maybe that was a bit of an overstatement. The teen knew what a ton of bricks felt like. And the realization of his current state hadn't hit him anywhere near as hard as Lamont's rage had.

Prying his swollen eyes open as far as possible, he peered through the tiny slits to take in his current location. Even after it finally registered where the knob was, it took almost a full minute before he managed to get his hand around it. Realizing that it was locked took significantly less time. Lifting his left hand to assist, it didn't take much probing for him to come to the undeniable conclusion that his was, in fact, thoroughly trapped. It had been years since he had last been locked in a closet.

* * *

"Absolutely not." Eugenia told her daughter, not willing to consider the idea for even a moment.

Tessa, however, had no intention of bowing to her mother's wishes in this case. "There's no other way, mother."

"Tessa, no." Duncan stepped over to her urgently. "We'll find another way."

"What other way?" Tessa demanded. "There is no other way. We need to get to Richie."

"Tessa," Aldrich joined in the discussion. "The police can track him without you."

"And if he leaves when he realizes I am not there? What then? What will he do to Richie then?" The Frenchwoman demanded.

Her family, however, was not as willing to sacrifice the woman. "They'll get a look-alike, Tessa. He'll never know it isn't you. He won't get close enough."

"If he won't get close enough, then I'll be perfectly safe, mother." Tessa replied.

Duncan, for once, found himself on the same side as Tessa's parents. "There's no reason to risk it, Tess."

"They'll be police everywhere, Duncan. I'm not willing to jeopardize Richie's safety to assuage your fears. I'm going." She told them all definitively as she made her way over to inform the officers of her decision.

* * *

Twisting slowly, Richie found himself trying to remember the last time he had been in so much pain. There had to be a time. He just couldn't quite remember it. It seemed like hours before he was finally able to shift his legs up against the door. The cramped space, throbbing in his head and fire shooting through him ever time he moved hardly make his attempt to reposition himself an easy task. It wasn't until he actually positioned himself where he wanted to be that he began to really contemplate whether or not he even had the energy to kick open the heavy door.

* * *

Scanning the crowded street as casually as she possibly could, Tessa tried to reassure herself as she spotted each undercover officer in turn. Despite her insistence to her family that this was the best choice, she could feel her heart pounding wildly in her chest as she walked along the path.

Spotting the sixth, seventh and then eighth undercover officer hardly made her feel at ease. She had never intended to get so far along the strip. Where was Lamont? Why hadn't he come for her by now? She could still hear his deranged request to meet him here. She couldn't get the sound of his voice out of her head no matter how hard she tried. So where was he? Why hadn't he met her yet? He wanted her to 'join them' hadn't he?

* * *

Taking one last, painful breath, he used every ounce of strength he had against the door. As the darkness temporarily overcame him, the teen drew in his breath once more as he attempted to regain a semblance of composure before he pried his eyes open. It wasn't until he saw the light from the table lamp that he realized the door was open. Looking up in awe, the teen slowly began to process the idea that he was free. He had actually kicked the door open. Now if he could only gather enough strength to get out of the building and find help.

* * *

Standing off at a distance, Duncan felt his trepidation grow as he watched his lover walk further and further away from the designated sight. Despite the man's near-consuming desire to have Richie back, he couldn't ignore the signals running through him letting him know this was not the way to do it. Trying his best to ignore his instinctual response and rely upon traditional police assistance to capture the madman tormenting his family, the Immortal continued to stand by at a helpless distance as strangers took responsibility for the well being of his loved ones.

* * *

As soon as Tessa rounded the corner, she knew it was a mistake. The officers had been more than clear that she was to stay in a straight path. But the time was moving so quickly and she had yet to see any sign of Lamont or Richie. She knew she shouldn't turn away from the officers, but she just couldn't stop herself. Something was telling her to make that final turn.

* * *

Pulling himself up from his knees, Richie impressed himself with his ability to stay upright. Even as the room spun around him in bright, pretty colors the teen knew he had to press on. Even as he did his best to ignore the painful screams of his body that he should rest, the boy knew that he had to keep going. He had to get up if he was going to save Tessa.

* * *

As soon as the woman stepped off the pre-laid course, the operation was immediately aborted. Every officer immediately surged after the civilian. As the first two officers rounded the corner, it was more than apparent that they were too late. Ms. Noel had disappeared, along with their chance to catch the kidnapper.

* * *

Finally reaching the front door, Richie paused momentarily to try and remember where it was he was going. Tessa. He remembered. He had to find Tessa. God, was he tired, though. All he wanted was to lie down. Couldn't she just come to him?

As the door swung open from the other direction, Richie smiled at the sight before him. Tessa was looking him in the eye. As he returned the look, it once again dawned on the teen where he had been going. It was far too late. His kidnapper had returned, but this time they were not alone. The lunatic had gotten Tessa.


	19. Unhappy Reunion

As the door was thrown open, Tessa couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief to see Richie before her. Despite the circumstances, Richie standing in front of her was a more than welcome sight. That is, until he crumpled to the ground.

"Richie!" The woman screamed as she attempted to rush to his side.

The madman would hardly allow that, however. Keeping a firm grip around her waist, the Frenchman lifted her partway off the ground as he abruptly pulled her away from the injured boy before them.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" The woman demanded indignantly, as she struggled to break free of his grip.

Feeling himself losing his grasp on the situation at hand, not to mention upon the slender woman, Lamont quickly regrouped. With a low grunt he shifted the woman to his left side as he leaned down in an attempted to move the semi-conscious teen out of the doorway. Struggling with the woman at his side, he finally yelled out in exasperation. "Stop it right now!"

Richie couldn't quite figure out what it was that was so humorous about the situation, but the tone of his captor's indignant demand to 'stop it' only invoked laughter from the teen. Even as the man shoved him out of the doorway with a very painful kick to the ribs, Richie continued to laugh. Somehow, even Tessa's scream of terror at the teen's mistreatment only added fuel to his laughter.

As the battered and bruised boy rolled around on the floor in hysterics, Tessa was at a loss of how to get a grasp on the situation. Even as Lamont proceeded to dump her on the couch at the front of the room, she found herself desperately trying to figure out how she could keep the crazed gardener from killing them both.

* * *

Even as the officers frantically searched the surrounding area, Duncan slowly backed away from the scene, hoping to slip beneath their radar in the frenzy. As soon as the call came across that Tessa was missing he had known beyond a shadow of a doubt that she, too, had been taken. It was time to stop playing silly games. Duncan MacLeod was going to get his family back.

* * *

Looking at the unconscious lump that Richie had become on the floor, Tessa bore up more courage than she thought was possible and turned her attention to the man that was holding them hostage. Putting on the most innocent air she could muster, she looked at him with her contempt buried deeper than she could have ever imagined was possible. "Lamont?"

"What?" The man replied distractedly as he continued to stare out the door, waiting for someone to come at any moment.

Tessa took in a deep breath before posing her question. "What are we doing here?"

"What?" Lamont repeated, abruptly turning distracted eyes upon her.

The woman was careful to keep any hint of contempt out of her voice as she repeated her question. "What are we doing here?"

"Waiting." Lamont told her simply.

As Richie let out a slight groan, Tessa focused her attention once again on the disheveled teen. As she sat helplessly by, unable to offer the boy even the slightest bit of comfort, she nearly lost her composure. It was not until the teen briefly opened his swollen eyes to stare up at their captor that the woman found the strength to continue conversing with the monster.

"What are we waiting for?" She asked simply.

"They want to stop us from being together." Lamont told the darkness that loomed outside the doorway. "But I won't let them. I won't let them keep us apart any longer. We're going to be a family. I won't let them keep me from having a family."

"Who?" Tessa tentatively questioned.

Lamont looked up at her, his eyes haunted. "All of them. I won't let them keep me from a family. As soon as it's safe, we'll go. We'll go so far away they won't ever be able to find us."

"Where should we go?" The woman continued to press, hoping to draw some sort of plan out of the man. She needed to know what his plan was if she was going to have any chance of getting herself and Richie away from him.

Lamont looked over at her hesitantly before giving a brief shake of the head. "No, love. Not yet. I can't trust you yet. They've had too long to turn you against me. But don't worry. Soon, very soon, we'll be past all that. I'll keep you both safe. We'll be a family."

* * *

Standing nonchalantly behind the crowd, Duncan did his best to get a look at the scene of the abduction without drawing attention to himself. It took nearly twenty minutes of discrete observance before the Immortal finally spotted what he was looking for. As soon as he noticed the slightly disturbed board, he realized the gardener's escape route. The man had clearly pulled Tessa through the boarding to the back end of a 'dead end' alley. Now all he had to do was find a way around the police if he was going to have any chance of determining where Lamont had headed.

* * *

"Up and at 'em, sport." Richie groaned at the insistent calls for him to wake up.

Rolling over, a new shot of pain surged through his body. "Come on, son. You've slept long enough. We need to get going."

Hesitantly peeling open one eye, the teen quickly realized that his nightmare was not a figment of his overactive imagination. The smiling gardener looming over him was proof of the reality of his situation; that and the pain throbbing throughout his body. "Come on, now. Time to get up."

"Richie?" Tessa's hesitant voice carried across the room.

Lamont's voice quickly overpowered it, however. "Don't upset your mother, son. Get up."

Pulling himself to a sitting position, the boy was amazed at his own ability not to cry out in pain. Looking over at the slightly fuzzy blonde woman, he attempted to provide a reassuring smile. After all, the gardener was right about one thing. It wouldn't be right to further upset Tessa. He had done that enough.

"That's my boy." Lamont said contently, roughly patting Richie's throbbing head as he turned towards the door. "Hurry up and get around now, we have a busy day ahead of us."

The teen bit his tongue to stop himself from lashing out at the man. He had Tessa to consider now. Instead, he paused momentarily before managing to grit out, "Yes, sir."

"I'm going to check the perimeter, love." Lamont gave Tessa an eerie smile. "Why don't you freshen up?"

After Tessa managed to feign a smile and nod, the gardener departed, allowing the woman an opportunity to rush to Richie's side. Sliding to her knees, Tessa gently took the boy's head in her hands to examine it. "Richie?"

"I'm alright, Tess." Richie said, pulling away slightly.

Tessa nearly laughed at the ridiculous statement. "I'm not blind, Richie. My God, what did he do to you?"

As the woman's tears fell, Richie did his best to comfort her. "It's fine, Tessa. I'll be all right. We've got more important things to worry about right now."

"More important?" The indignant woman huffed. "What on earth could be more important than you bleeding to death in front of me?"

"I'm not bleeding, Tessa." Richie replied rationally. "And even if I was, there's nothing we could do about it here."

"So what do you suggest?" Tessa snapped despite herself.

Richie looked up at her in exasperation. "I suggest we figure out how to get out of here."


	20. Escape

"Richie, we can't just…" Tessa trailed off, not quite sure what they should or shouldn't do.

Richie, however, was much clearer on what needed to happen. The teen was all business. "What? Escape?"

"It isn't that simple." Tessa hissed. "He's obviously crazy."

"Duh." Richie said flatly, earning himself a reproachful look from the woman.

Despite the circumstances, Tessa immediately jumped on the comment. "Richard, that is hardly necessary."

"Okay, okay, sorry." Richie threw up his hands in surrender, wincing slightly at the sharp movement. "Look, Tess, I'm just saying you're right. He's crazy. That's obvious. We gotta get outta here before he goes completely off the deep end."

"It's not safe. You're hurt." Tessa shook her head slowly.

He couldn't quite stop himself from rolling his eyes slightly at the obvious observation. "Tessa, I'm fine."

"Oh, please." The blonde returned the eye roll at the obvious lie. "I am neither blind nor stupid, Richie."

"Alright, fine. I'm hurt. Are you happy now?" The teen snapped.

The woman flinched at his words. "Of course I'm not happy. You think I like to see you hurt?"

"No." He sighed in exasperation. "I'm sorry, all right? Geez. Look, let's say I am hurt."

"It's not like it's an exaggeration." Tessa returned.

Hurt, scared and exhausted, the teen's already too short patience was being sorely tested. "For God's sake Tessa could you just let me talk for once?"

At the woman's started look, Richie quickly continued. "We agree I'm hurt. Well, I'm sure not gonna get any help here, am I? We need to get away from him before he does any more damage to either one of us."

"What, exactly, do you suggest?" Tessa questioned defiantly.

"He's gotta turn his back sometime." The teen told her with a slight shrug. "We knock him out and bolt."

"Richie, it isn't that simple." Tessa began.

Lamont's voice interrupted her. "What isn't simple?"

The pair on the floor looked up in abject horror at their returning captor.

* * *

Weaving his way through the ever-darkening streets and alleyways, Duncan's determination never wavered. Lamont had left obvious signs of his route. Obvious to the Immortal, at least. By Duncan's logic, that alone was irrefutable evidence that he was the one meant to save his family. It was a fate he fully intended to keep.

* * *

"We were just." Tessa stumbled over the unformed lie.

Fortunately, Richie was a quicker thinker than the Frenchwoman. "Mom wants to get freshened up. She doesn't think the accommodations are acceptable."

Lamont's eerie smile served both to relieve and torment the woman. "You're always beautiful, love. Just go get washed up."

Tessa exchanged a brief glance with Richie before hesitantly heading to the shoddily sectioned area that she assumed was supposed to pass for a bathroom. She slowed her walk slightly as she listened to Lamont address the injured teen she had abandoned on the floor.

"Women, huh?" Lamont attempted to bond with the boy.

Richie feigned a half-hearted smile. "Right. Women."

* * *

Trouncing his way through the streets, Duncan became increasingly discouraged as he made one guess after another about where to turn next. The madman's once obvious path was becoming harder and harder for the Immortal to distinguish. He was slowly beginning to lose faith in his ability to find and save his family.

* * *

Desperately searching the small confines of the washroom, Tessa was at a loss of what to use against their captor. Taking a deep breath, she regrouped and frantically tried to find some creativity. She had to. Richie was counting on her.

"What on earth is she doing in there? Tessa!" Lamont called impatiently at the back of the confines.

Tessa's head snapped up at the man's beckoning. She was running out of time. "I'll be right out."

"Like you said, women." Richie anxiously tried to stall the man from going to check on Tessa. He prayed for her to hurry.

Right on cue, the woman emerged from the back with a false smile planted on her face and, if Richie's instincts were right, a weapon planted somewhere on her person. He found himself almost choking over the words even before they were out of his mouth. "Papa? Can you help me up?"

* * *

There was no denying it now. The trail was long gone. Duncan was no closer to finding Richie and Tessa than he had been three hours earlier.

* * *

Tessa took a deep breath and began to reach for the pipe as Lamont unwittingly leaned over to help the teen to his feet. Richie, desperate to help the fumbling woman gain a few more seconds without Lamont's watchful eye upon her, used every ounce of strength he had and some of the captor's own momentum to knee the man where he was most vulnerable.

As both Richie and the Frenchman fell to the floor in agony, Tessa found herself frozen over them. That is, until she watched the man's face fill with rage and his arms move menacingly towards the teen lying next to him. It was then that she found herself bringing the pipe down upon the man with purpose.

"About time." Richie muttered through clenched teeth as he worked to catch his breath.

Tessa allowed the comment to slide as she grabbed the boy under his arms and helped to pull him to his feet. "Can you walk?"

"I'm gonna have to." The teen replied as he leaned heavily on the woman for support.

Tessa let out an involuntary scream as Lamont's hand found Richie's ankle. Before she could even think, she brought her shoe down hard against the downed man's face. As Lamont groaned and grabbed his face, she scrambled to get Richie to the door. There was no telling what the man would do if he caught them now.


	21. Running On Empty

As Richie stumbled in the doorway, Tessa desperately pulled at the teen's arm. "Richie, come on."

"I'm trying." The boy groaned, clutching his gut as he struggled to keep up with her. "It's not like I want him getting up either."

Tessa gritted her teeth at the reminder of their captors' close proximity. Turning the lock before shutting the door behind them, the woman desperately hoped the precaution would buy them a few precious moments. Looking back, the fact that Lamont was already struggling to his feet far from reassured her that their escape plan was wise.

"Come on." Richie gruffly demanded, both pulling and leaning upon the woman as they went.

Allowing herself to be drug, Tessa couldn't help but keep one eye on the door behind them.

"Where are we going?" She finally asked.

"The truck." Richie replied shortly, never taking his eyes off the goal. He had to keep his focus.

Tessa, however, did not. Noticing the red, sweaty teen's pinched, pained face, she momentarily forgot their circumstances. Examining him closely, she began her questioning. "What's wrong? Are you in pain?"

"Of course I am. Will you get to the damn truck?" The boy gritted out through clenched teeth.

Fire coursing through her veins, the woman glared at him. "Watch your mouth."

Her furry quickly died, however. Seeing the doorknob behind them being desperately tried, Tessa changed her focus. Pulling frantically at the truck's handle, she immediately began to panic. "It's locked. What're we going to do?"

Rolling his eyes, Richie grabbed the pipe the woman was still wielding and, with one swift move, busted out the driver's side glass. Popping the lock and swinging himself into the driver's seat, he looked expectantly at the stunned woman. "Get in."

"Richie, what are…the keys aren't…we can't just."

She was in shock.

That is, until their captor broke down the front door. Hopping into the passenger seat, Tessa found herself willing the truck to start. She practically screamed her next question at the teen by her side. "Now what?"

Richie wasn't really listening, though. He hadn't had enough practice hotwiring cars to allow himself to get distracted.

"Thank God." He declared as the engine roared.

Throwing the truck into reverse, the teen jumped at the feeling of a hand on his collar. As Tessa sat stunned, Richie immediately shifted into third and peeled out. With Lamont's hold on the boy lost, Tessa began to scream.

Richie almost laughed at the irony of it all. Why she would scream after he was free from the madman was beyond the teen.

The screaming wasn't beyond him, though. It was right there, driving him crazy. Long after they had left Lamont lying behind in the dust, the noise continued to pour out of the woman's mouth.

"Shut up!" He finally yelled.

It wasn't until Richie had hollered at her that Tessa even realized she was still screaming. She shook her head slightly in an attempt to regain self-control. "Sorry." She told him quietly.

"Forget about it." Richie gritted, continuing to keep his eyes peeled on the dirt road before him.

They road in silence for a good five minutes before Tessa blurted out, "You're too young to drive."

Giving her a sideways glance, the boy offered her the first response that popped into his mind. "Opps."

"Opps." Tessa repeated the word woodenly. "Opps."

The fit of laughter she erupted into soon became contagious and Richie had to fight the hysteria to keep his focus on the road.

* * *

Desperately fighting to maintain his grip on the boy, Lamont lamented over his weakness as he fell behind the truck. Watching the vehicle speed off into the night, he cursed himself for being such a failure as a father. How could he ever have the life he'd always wanted if he couldn't even keep enough control over his family to keep them together?

He would have to do better. He needed to prove to Tessa he was worthy of their family.

He would do better. He would find them. Nothing could stop him.

* * *

Walking up the back path to the out-of-the way little shack, Duncan was certain that this was the place. Richie and Tessa were surely being held there. They had to be, the man attempted to reason with himself. After all, he had looked every other possible place. Process of elimination worked wonders.

* * *

Looking down the road, Lamont did a double take. How could things have gotten so bad? Not only had he temporarily lost his family, but also the villain who had held them for so long had discovered his home. Edging off the path and into the bushes, he waited and watched as the scoundrel violated the sanctity of his home.

* * *

Cautiously slipping into the small shack, Duncan was terrified by the sight that lay before him. Broken doors, blood streaked floors, rope, a single earring. He had no doubt that this was where Richie and Tessa must have been. Searching the premises for any signs of his family, he was unaware of the man watching his every move from only a few feet away. Leaning down to retrieve the abandoned earring by the door, Duncan barely noticed the shadow as it loomed over him. Standing up abruptly, the Immortal didn't even have time to process what the weapon was that Lamont was wielding. It too quickly made contact with his head.

* * *

"Look!" Tessa practically sang the word to her teenage escort. Pointing at the florescent sign, the woman was overwhelmed with happiness. A gas station. In her mind, they were as good as home.

In her mind, not Richie's. Pulling into the lot, the teen slowly turned off the engine and looked over at the woman expectantly. "Why don't you go in and call the police?"

Tessa was startled by the unexpected reaction. "You won't come with me?"

Even as she questioned the boy, she began to examine him closely. Her joy was immediately replaced with apprehension. Looking over the teen, she was amazed that he had lasted as long as he had. And there she was, so consumed in her own fear, she had completely forgotten the torment he'd endured.

Apparently though, Richie was content to keep her oblivious to his pain. Providing the best smile he could muster, the boy addressed her carefully. "Mind if I wait here?"

"Don't move, sweetheart." Tessa told him quietly as she leaned over to briefly brush the bangs from his face before resolutely hopping out of the truck. "I'll be right back."

Watching the woman sprint into the gas station, Richie leaned back into his seat and closed his eyes. The nightmare was over. It seemed so true. But, somehow, he just couldn't quite fight the nagging feeling in the back of his head that something wasn't quite right.


	22. An Ambulance Ride Away

Walking back out to the truck, Tessa found herself briefly contemplating her sanity. Maybe she was delusional. At this point, having completely lost her mind seemed more plausible than this actually being reality.

Making her way to the truck, she wondered how on earth she and Duncan would ever make any of this real for Richie. She was an adult. A strong, independent woman. And yet, she was nowhere near equipped to deal with the reality of all that had happened. How could a vulnerable young boy like Richie get through such madness? Sighing, she pushed the concern to the back of her mind and attempted to focus on the present. Right now, she just needed to keep him calm until the ambulance arrived.

Leaning into the passenger side of the vehicle, she momentarily watched him. His eyes were closed, his head leaned back. For a brief second, she wondered if he was actually napping. Then his eyes reopened and focused on her. She wanted to comfort; reassure. But nothing came to her. She couldn't even force a smile. "The police are coming."

"Alright." Richie returned, providing her with the smile she had been unable to furnish. "Why don't you sit down until they get here? You look exhausted."

"It's been a rough couple of days." The woman admitted, slumping into the passenger seat beside the boy. Leaning back against the headrest, she desperately tried to convince herself it was all just a dream. She was really sound asleep at home.

Unfortunately, the sound of the sirens simply continued to approach. They never turned into her alarm clock. As a paramedic shined a light into her eyes, she once again found the reality of the situation glaring down at her.

* * *

Was someone really yelling for him to freeze? It was almost comical. Here he was, bleeding all over the floor, barely conscious and people were ordering him to freeze? How much more frozen could he get?

As he found the world around him slowly coming into focus, the Immoral began to process exactly what was happening. Lamont had overpowered him. The man had somehow escaped his grasp. And here Duncan lay, surrounded by police, guns aimed down his throat, and the maniac who had terrorized his family was still running free.

* * *

If they asked him one more idiotic question, he was afraid he would haul off and punch someone and then where would he be? What would the use of having escaped be if he ended up in jail? But, good God, these paramedics were annoying.

"What's your name?"

"What day is it?

"Where are you?"

He was sore not stupid.

As the barrage of moronic questions continued, the teen briefly wondered if they really would arrest him if he did punch them. After all, they did think he was a brain-dead idiot. Maybe he could convince them he hadn't been in his right mind when he did it.

As the quieter paramedic of the two probed his rib, he immediately changed his mind. Well, not exactly changed his mind. Just refocused it. It took all his concentration to remember not to throw up.

God that hurt. He just wanted the pain to stop. For the love of God, please someone just make it stop.

* * *

As the ambulance pulled into the emergency entrance, Tessa was more than a little relieved when the siren finally ceased its shrill cry. It had grated at her last nerve throughout the entire trip. As the paramedic eased her down onto the ground, she wondered briefly if they would have turned it off had she only asked.

It was too late now, she realized. The time had come and gone for making that request. They were already at the hospital; the nightmare was near complete. Looking over her shoulder at the ambulance pulling in behind hers, she wondered briefly if the person inside that transport could be having a day as bad as hers.

With only a brief, stolen glance at the young man lowered down to her level, the realization of who the other victim in the madness she had endured was came back to her in one fell swoop. What was the matter with her? How could she have possibly forgotten about Richie?

* * *

Staring up into the barrels of countless guns, Duncan found himself desperately hoping that none of the marksmen were particularly trigger-happy. Forget the pain of dying. The time lost on his 'death' would greatly impede his quest to find his family.

* * *

When the fifth doctor walked past her partition, Tessa found herself growing more than a little impatient. Sure, she had received immediate attention upon her arrival. It took only a matter of minutes before the doctors and nurses confirmed what she already knew.

Physically, Tessa was none the worse for wear. She could have told them that the second they wheeled her in, had they only asked her. The immediate attention she had received abruptly ended, however, and the woman found herself impatiently waiting for Duncan's inevitable arrival at her side.

* * *

Staring up at the dull, white ceiling Richie desperately attempted to think of anything but the events of the past few days.

The throbbing in his ribs.

The price of bratwurst.

The smell of the orderly's rubber gloves.

None of it could hold his attention for more than a few seconds. The image of Lamont overpowered it all.

As the last attendant made his way out of the room, the teen desperately began to pray for Duncan's speedy arrival. The Immortal would make it all better, he told himself. Somehow, Mac always knew how to fix things. If only he'd get there soon, it'd be okay. Breathing deeply, the teen tried with all his might to hold it together. It would only be for a few more minutes. Then Mac would come. Everything would be okay if Mac would just get there. He just needed to hold it together a little bit longer. Just a few more minutes. He fervently prayed for the strength to maintain control.

* * *

Quietly making his way through the brush of the woods, Lamont spotted the gas station to which his family had obviously made their retreat. The police tape around it was an obvious sign. Now all he had to do was find out where they had taken his wife and son. It wouldn't be long before he would have his family back together. That thought alone brought a smile to the man's lips. Soon, they would again be a family. 


	23. The Arrest

The healing process already beginning, Duncan's mind cleared and he forced himself to remain still and hope for the best. This was really not a good time to go and get himself killed. He didn't have time to worry about how to rise from the dead. He needed to get back his family.

His entire body let out an involuntary sigh as he felt three sets of arms roughly push him to the ground, using much more force than could possibly be considered necessary. As his right hand was abruptly pulled behind his back, he seethed in pain. It was a bloody good thing he was Immortal. Otherwise, these cops might kill him, applying such force. Rapid healing did have its advantages.

Rapid healing.

Oh, God.

What had the officers seen?

As he was abruptly pulled to his feet, Duncan felt his heart pounding even faster. He had no idea what had happened. Or when. He was nearly certain he hadn't been killed. That he would have remembered. Or, at least, he would have remembered coming back from it. But it could have been close. Had he been shot? Whacked over the head? What had the police seen?

Taking in the faces of the officers, he found himself relaxing slightly as he viewed their demeanor. Cold. Distant. Angry. Thank God. No one seemed to be noticing anything out of the ordinary. They were to busy arresting the wrong man.

Arresting. Duncan's mind quickly switched to that little problem. If they were arresting him, it was only a matter of time. Or not. As an untrusting officer quickly dislodged his katana from its holding place, he found his face shoved hard into the ground.

* * *

Sitting silently in the back of the patrol car, Duncan was beginning to wonder what was going on. These men didn't operate like any officers he had ever known. No one questioned him. No one spoke to him. They had simply shoved him in the back of the car without so much as a 'move it punk' from even one of them. He was being whisked away without a second thought.

In 400 years, he had his run-in or two with the law, and this was never how they operated. Regardless of country, century or creed, in his experience, no officer had ever been able to resist talking to a prisoner before they were 'officially questioned'. Someone definitely was keeping a tight leash on this crew.

Leaning back, attempting to enjoy the solitude of the ride, the Immortal reminded himself this was a good thing. After all, it was his family the officers were attempting to protect. It wasn't exactly their fault they had capture the wrong man. They didn't know they were wasting precious time in finding his family. They had no idea that they had let the real madman escape.

He was beginning to remember all too well why he had sidestepped the officers in the first place.

* * *

Looking around the small, dank room, Duncan began to wonder exactly how long they intended to make him sit there. Whoever was going to question him certainly intended to make him wait. Sweat it out, so to speak. But he really wanted to know exactly how long. Some waited hours. Others only minutes. He found himself desperately hoping whoever was watching him from the other side of the glass was a minutes man. He needed to get things cleared up so he could return to his searching. He had been so close.

Despite his impatience, the Scotsman was surprised when the door opened only a few minutes after he had been left there.

"MacLeod." The indignant officer's voice held a hint of bewilderment.

Duncan turned to face him. "Yes?"

"What the hell are you doing here?" The officer demanded.

The Immortal started at him blankly. "You tell me. It was your men who brought me in."

"Do you have any idea how your interference could jeopardize the search? The time that has been wasted on you?" The man demanded.

Duncan, however, knew all too well. "So stop wasting both of our time and let me out of here. Richie and Tessa are still missing."

"They've been found, MacLeod." The detective stated flatly.

Duncan's eyes immediately shot to the man. "Where are they?"

"I swear to God I ought to leave you in here to rot. If your kid didn't need you…" The officer trailed off.

Giving time to allow Duncan to surge to his feet. "Thank you."

"Hold on just a minute, Mr. MacLeod. We still need to discuss a few small matters, like a pool of blood and a concealed weapon." The detective halted him.

With a heavy sigh, Duncan once again lowered himself to his seat. It was going to be a very long night.

* * *

Slowly making his way through the hospital corridors, the Frenchman did his best to maintain a cool air. If he was going to get his family back, he was going to have to stop making such foolish mistakes. Making his way past the police-lined door, the man knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that either his wife or son was in that room.

Smiling at the officers, he casually continued down the hallway, racking his mind for a way to get inside that room. Spotting the unsuspecting orderly about to step into the linen closet, Lamont knew exactly what he needed to do.


	24. The Hospital

Staring at the dull, white ceiling, Richie fought the urge to jump out of the bed and run straight out of there. After all, he reasoned, it wasn't like he'd get that far. He was alone, in a foreign country, a psycho was after him and he was not exactly feeling top notch.

Still, the urge was more than just passing.

Closing his eyes, the teen pointlessly attempted to sleep. Maybe if he just went to sleep, he would wake up and realize it was all just a nightmare. Or, at the very least, Mac would be there when he woke up. Damn him.

Damn that Duncan MacLeod for making him feel protected. Before, he would have been able to handle this. Alone was all he knew. It was cool. Damn him.

He decided to focus on his breathing. He had seen Mac do it before. Before he worked out, he would sit there, just breathing. Taking in a slow breath, he immediately gritted his teeth. Not so deep. Short, small breaths would be better. They wouldn't hurt his ribs so much.

Keeping his eyes closed, the youth concentrated on the breathing, completely unaware of the man coming down the hallway, bound and determined to get into his room.

* * *

Striding down the hallway, the man's only thought was reaching his destination. He had been separated from his son for too long. He had let his guard down, had been too trusting and now look what had happened. Walking down the hallway, he found himself stopped by the officers guarding his boy's room.

He just had to play it cool. Let them know that he belonged there and everything would be fine. In a few moments, he would be reunited with his son. Two armed guards were nothing to contend with when it came to getting to his boy.

* * *

It was pointless. He breathed all the time. It never changed anything before. It was automatic; thinking about doing it was just a big waste of time. Looking around dejectedly, he wondered what had happened to the remote. Even French television had to be more interesting than counting the holes in the ceiling.

After a few minutes of futile searching, he gave up all together. Besides, there was definitely someone at the door and he really didn't want to deal with another intrusive exam. He had more than his fill of annoying doctors and nurses poking and prodding at him. Closing his eyes, he feigned sleep. Maybe if he acted dead to the world, he would be left in peace.

As the door opened quietly, he was careful to lay still. He just needed to maintain his breathing. Then maybe the annoying intruder would take the hint and leave him be.

* * *

Finally able to call off the guards, the anxious man quietly slipped into the room. There was no need to arouse alarm. He would simply make his way over to the bed and let his son know he was there. There was no doubt in his mind that the teen would be expecting him. He didn't have any desire to keep him waiting any longer.

Quietly crossing the space between the door and the bed, he watched the boy feign sleep. He looked far from peaceful. The boy's attempt to deceive him into believing the teen was resting was completely ineffective. There was tension in his face. And his breath was far too controlled. Even from the doorway, the man could tell it was a ploy.

As he made his way over, he reassured himself the attempted deception was not really directed at him. There was, after all, no way the boy would know who was here for him. There was no doubt in the man's mind that his presence would bring relief to the teen. No matter how tough the youth played it; he knew the truth. The boy would want him there.

Sliding silently up next to the bed, the man waited patiently for the boy to acknowledge him. Finally tiring of the ploy, he called out quietly. "Son?"

As the teen opened his eyes, the sight of the man standing before him left the teen momentarily speechless.


	25. Happy Reunion

Hearing the familiar baritone call out his name, Richie was startled. He had to be mistaken. There was no way he was really here. The teen briefly attempted to convince himself he was hallucinating. Curiosity quickly got the better of him, however, and the teen found himself opening his eyes against his better judgment.

Blinking a few times, the teen finally realized that the sight before him was not a figment of his imagination. The man was really there, settling himself onto the hospital bed. He was only inches away; leaning over the boy, concern filling his features. As the man reached his hand out to brush the lad's hair out of his eyes, Richie sprung into action.

As the boy threw himself at him, Duncan accepted the unexpected movement without hesitation. Wrapping his arms gently around the lad's back, he stroked Richie's hair gently. It was a good thing, the Immortal attempted to reassure himself. If Richie could lung at him, he certainly couldn't have suffered too much damage at the hands of his captor.

Feeling the child trembling in his arms, the Immortal frowned fiercely. Leaning forward, Duncan kept his arms around the boy as he eased his battered body back down to rest on the mattress. He had, of course, expected Richie to be shaken up. Who wouldn't be after such an ordeal? But the way he was shuddering in the man's grasp made it apparent that he was still more than simply frazzled.

Sighing deeply, the Immortal gently disentangled himself from Richie and eased away slightly, hoping to check him over and get a better sense of how the lad was really doing. Keeping one reassuring hand on the back of the teen's neck, he pulled away enough to meet the boy's eyes.

The anxiety was evident in the bright blue shining up at him. His voice sounded unnatural even to himself as he spoke. "Hey there, partner."

"Hey." The boy practically whispered back.

Duncan looked down at him for a few long moments, unsure of what to say next. Somehow, nothing he could think of seemed fitting to say in response to the situation at hand. He finally settled on questioning the boy, "How're you feeling?"

"Glad you're here." The teen answered honestly.

The Immortal smiled at him sadly, moving the hand he had rested on the lad's neck to stroke Richie's hair. "I wouldn't be anywhere else."

"I wasn't sure you were coming." Richie told him honestly. "I've been here for hours."

"I know, partner. I'm sorry. There was a misunderstanding." The Immortal told him quietly.

"Misunderstanding?" The teen questioned, wanting more than anything to understand why the man hadn't been with him. "What kind of misunderstanding?"

"Mistaken identity." The man told him flatly, not really wanting to bring up the subject of Lamont's continued freedom.

Richie, however, was persistent. "What?"

"The police found me at the cabin." Duncan told him simply, hoping to keep the conversation light.

"They thought you were Lamont?" Richie asked, immediately picking up on the man's implication.

The Immortal nodded silently, not sure how the lad would react to the idea. He prided himself on knowing his son, but had lived long enough to have interacted with former hostages on more then one occasion. Experience had taught him that their reactions to talking about their captors were anything but predictable.

"Then he's still out there?" The teen questioned stoically, looking blankly into Duncan's eyes.

The Immortal didn't know how to respond to the apparent lack of emotion. Unsure how to reassure the boy, he went with the only response he could think of; the honest one. "He is."

The formerly empty stare immediately was filled with emotions. Richie's voice cracked just as his eyes filled with tears. "Please, dad."

The request wasn't completed. But Duncan knew exactly what the lad was asking. Simply by using the three-letter title in his plea, he made his desperation for protection clear. Leaning forward, the Immortal gently wrapped his arms around the boy once more, allowing the teen to bury his face in his father's chest.

"It's going to be all right, Richie. I'm here now. You're safe." The man soothed, waiting patiently for the teen's tense posture to relax in his embrace.

When it didn't happen; the Immortal once again attempted verbal reassurance. "I'll find him, partner. He's not ever going to hurt you again. I promise."

Pulling away from the man slightly, Richie looked up at him seriously. "How's Tessa?"

It wasn't exactly the question Duncan had been expecting. But it was one that deserved an answer. Shrugging, he told the boy honestly. "I haven't seen her yet."

"Really?" Richie questioned, slightly in awe. 

The Immortal smiled down at him again, entertained by the youth's apparent joy at being his first stop. "This is my first stop since tasting freedom, bub. I'll check with the nurses soon. Give her parents a call."

Nodding in acceptance, the teen once again pressed the man with questions. "How long were you in jail?"

"Two hours, tops. Just long enough to get recognized. It was the getting hauled in part that took the better part of the day." Duncan replied seriously.

"So do have any idea where Lamont is?" Richie once again switched gears, leading them to the one topic the Immortal had wanted to avoid.

How was he supposed to answer that question? The boy had been through too much at the hands of the man. He didn't want to cause him any more worry. But he didn't want to give him a false sense of security, either. There was no way he could guarantee the gardener wouldn't find his way to Richie once more.

"I would guess he's somewhere nearby." The Immortal answered honestly, deciding on the straightforward approach. He wasn't entirely sure the lad could handle any more unwelcome surprises.

Richie's eyes went flat at the statement. "You really think he's around?"

"Probably." The man replied frankly, squeezing the boy's shoulder gently as he spoke. "I doubt he'll go too far without you and Tessa."

"He thinks we're his family." The boy confirmed bleakly.

Duncan nodded at that, having figured as much. "I hate to say it, partner, but my guess is we haven't seen the last of the man."

"So where's Tessa?" The teen questioned once more.


	26. Unfinished Business

"Stop moving around, Tessa." The woman admonished sternly, unsettled by her daughter's total disregard to the potential harm she was causing.

Tessa, however, was not exactly feeling accommodating. "I told you mother, I'm fine."

"You're a doctor now, are you?" The overprotective parent returned quickly.

Earning a disgusted look from her daughter. "I wasn't hurt, mother. Will you please stop hovering?"

"Fine." The mother threw her hands up in frustration, taking a short step back from her daughter.

Her husband quickly stepped in, attempting to ease the tension. "You're sure your not hurt, Tessie?"

"He wasn't violent with me, Papa." The younger woman told him softly. "He only hurt Richie."

"How is the boy?" Her father questioned kindly.

Causing tears to well in the frustrated woman's eyes. "They won't tell me. They can't release information without parental consent."

"Speaking of, what has come of Duncan?" Eugenia asked flatly.

As a tear escaped, Tessa desperately attempted to keep herself composed in front of her parents. "I don't know. No one will tell me anything."

"Well, that is absolutely ridiculous." Eugenia spat, enraged to see the younger woman brought to the point of tears.

The anger did little to sooth her daughter, though. "We're not married, mother. Apparently you were right. Legalities really are essential."

"Of course they are." The woman dismissed the younger blonde's admission. "But this is an extreme situation. Surely the authorities can be a bit more accommodating."

"I've tried, mother. They won't even speak with me. The officer at the door won't even acknowledge the fact that Richie is at this hospital. We came in together for God's sake and the man won't even admit that he's here." Tessa told her, defeat evident in the daughter's voice.

It was not a sound her mother wanted to hear. The pain her daughter was obviously enduring pushed the woman into action. Heading purposefully towards the door, the woman was more than a little abrupt as she announced her destination. "That's it. I'm going to talk to this officer and straighten things out once and for all."

"Mother." Tessa's voice followed her mother as the woman stepped out of the room. Looking over at her father, she smiled at the slight shrug the man provided in response.

* * *

"When's the doctor coming?" Richie questioned impatiently.

Immediately causing his father to tense. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Nothing. I just want to know when I can get out of here." The teen reassured him.

The man let out the breath he didn't know he had been holding. "Relax, Rich. It's good that you're here. You're hurt."

"I'm fine." Richie replied sullenly.

Earning himself a knowing look from the Immortal. "Uh-huh. Somehow I think I'll feel a bit better when I hear that from the doctor."

Rolling his eyes at the man, the teen dodged Duncan's attempt to ruffle his curls.

* * *

As Ms. Noel continued to argue with the guard, the door swung open and Aldrich quickly joined his wife, obviously attempting to reason with the woman. It was only as the door swung backwards that he able to catch a quick glimpse of Tessa. She was alone and utterly unsupervised. Slipping down the hall as inconspicuously as he could, the man slipped behind the guard as he dealt with the wonderfully distracting Noels.

Walking into the room, he was relieved to see that Tessa was looking the other direction. He hated to startle her, but knew it was absolutely necessary. He could hardly trust her not to scream out. Her recent display of defiance made it very clear that she was still falling victim to her family's wicked brainwashing. It would take time and loving attention to remedy his wife and son's attitudes. It would take a great deal of work, indeed. He had no doubt he was up to the challenge.

* * *

Searching desperately through her purse, Tessa became increasingly frustrated about her inability to find what she was looking for. She was becoming as illogical as her parents. Thinking such a thing would actually be of any use. Still, it would at least provide a bit of comfort. And, at this point, comfort would definitely be a plus.

Continuing her intense search, the woman didn't even notice that someone else had walked into the room.


	27. The Anticlimactic Climax

Pushing aside the third hairbrush from the bottom, the woman breathed a sigh of relief as she finally located the lighter. Hospital policy be damned. She needed a smoke. Smacking the bottom of the pack, she pulled one cigarette free. Flicking with the lighter, she was lost in her own world. So much so, that she nearly burnt her lip at the loud crash behind her.

Whipping around to see what on earth was going on, the woman was shocked by the sight before her. Stretched out on the floor, mere inches away from her, was none other than Lamont. And standing over him, a metal container of tongue depressors raised above her head, was her mother.

* * *

Leaning back in his chair, Duncan couldn't help but smile at the teenager's restlessness. He was just as ready as the boy to get out of there. Relaxing against the rubber seat, watching his son fiddle with the blankets, he found himself dropping his guard slightly. That is, until he heard the crash, at least.

The bang and subsequent thud were disheartening enough. Tessa's distinct scream made his heart skip a beat. Looking over his shoulder briefly to reassure himself that Richie was, in fact, still safely settled in the bed, Duncan surged towards to door. "Stay there."

Flying through the door, Duncan was glad to see that one guard had remained in front of his son's door despite the sound. He needed to know there was some sort of barrier between Richie and his tormentor.

Making his way to the commotion, the Immortal easily breezed by the officers attempting to block his path. Finally screeching to a halt, Duncan was stunned by the sight before him.

* * *

As the officers hauled Lamont away, Tessa continued to stare at her mother in awe. Despite the officers swarming upon her, the disaster area around her and the probing of the nurses, Tessa never once took her eyes off her mother.

"Mother, you..." Her voice trailed off as Tessa continued to stare at her mother. Taking a staggered step forward, the woman reached out and placed a gentle hand on her mother's arm. Meeting her mother's eyes briefly, Tessa desperately attempted to process what had happened. Her mother stopping her stalker was hardly what Tessa imagined would happen.

As police officers and hospital security hastily pulled Lamont to his feet, Eugenia dropped the depressor container. As the metal container crashed to the floor and the depressors scattered throughout the room, Aldrich slid in behind the woman, reaching out to pull his wife to him. As soon as the woman was in her husband's arms, she began sobbing. Reaching out, she pulled her daughter into the fold, looking her over to reassure herself that her child had not been hurt.

As her father quickly slid in behind her, resting a hand on his daughter's shoulder as he looked on at his wife, Tessa finally began to snap out of the daze she had temporarily been in. By the time Duncan skidded in behind the group and pulled the woman from her parents to rest in his broad arms, she had regained enough composure to completely break down.

* * *

Standing in the hallway, watching the scene continue to unfold, the unorthodox group clung to each other. As Lamont was led away from the crowded area in cuffs, the crazed man locked eyes with the woman watching him from the opposite side of the room. Tessa immediately felt a chill go down her spine.

"I'll come back for you, love." The suspect yelled across the people-filled hallway. As the officers immediately began to pull the man away by his cuffs, he continued to address the woman as though they were the only two in the room, despite Tessa immediately being surrounded by officers, Duncan and her parents.

"I promise you, Tessa. I'll keep us together. All of us." Just as he finally appeared to be settling down, allowing himself to be led down the seemingly unending hallway, the man once again attempted to surge back towards his 'family', spotting yet another person to whom he needed to give reassurance. "Do you hear me, son? I'll be back for you! I promise. I love you both so..." Being pulled around the corner, the man's voice finally drifted into nothingness.

Whipping around, both Duncan and Tessa immediately surged towards the teenager standing not ten feet behind them. Unfortunately, they were not nearly quick enough to reach him before the officers did. Both stood by helplessly as the injured teen was unceremoniously slammed into the wall.


	28. Slowly Starting

As the rookie set of officers were pulled off the boy by a chastising sergeant, a drove of people descended down upon the injured party. So many officers, nurses, attendants and medical staff, in fact, that it took Duncan a good twenty seconds before he was able to maneuver his way through the crowd to the teen's side. Sliding up beside the officer who was supposed to have been standing outside of his son's door, Duncan gently put a hand on the teen's upper arm, hoping to reassure and not re-injure the teen. When Richie lunged at him, despite the audience, the Immortal was somewhat startled.

Fortunately, he wasn't so startled that he didn't know what to do. Wrapping his arms soundly around the shaking boy, he calmly tilted his head and spoke softly into the teen's ear. After hearing a few calming words, Richie nodded his head slowly and allowed the man to lead him quietly back to his room with the entourage following closely behind.

After leading Richie back to the bed, Duncan stood quietly at his side, holding the teen's hand as the boy was once again checked-over by the paid professionals to assess if any additional damage had occurred. It wasn't until a good twenty minutes later that the teenager found himself once again left in peace.

Temporarily relaxing against the bed, glad to have the prodding hands gone, the boy looked up at the only four people remaining in the room with him. And then he once again wished for a set of prodding hands to return. Looking over expectantly at the Immortal, he suddenly knew that the temporary reprieve from reprimand was at its end.

However, it wasn't Duncan who broke the silence. "What on earth did you think you were doing?" Eugenia demanded.

The confrontation from the elder Noel woman was not what Richie had expected. Especially not directed at Duncan. Apparently, it wasn't what the Scotsman had been expecting either. "Excuse me?"

"What were you thinking, leaving your son alone knowing full well that his kidnapper was roaming around freely? What kind of irresponsible, reckless parent leaves his child unattended under circumstances like that?" The enraged woman demanded.

Three sets of eyes stared at the woman dumbfounded. Richie, however, was not struck speechless. "He's not an irresponsible parent. He left me with a cop because he had to go hunt down your psycho gardener. So just back it off, lady."

"It's alright, Rich." Duncan told him quietly, resting a reassuring hand on the lad's shoulder as he spoke.

The teen wasn't exactly soothed, through. "No it isn't."

"No, it certainly isn't." Aldrich put in, earning startled looks from every party in the room.

Particularly from his wife. "Aldrich?"

Ignoring his wife's questioning call; the patriarch gave his daughter a quick kiss on the cheek, startled Richie by giving him one of the same and offered Duncan a congenial handshake. "We're so glad you're all safe and well. If you'll excuse us, we're going to go have a cup of coffee in the cafeteria."

"Aldrich." Eugenia's voice was filled with confusion.

Her husband was far from confused, though. Taking his wife by the arm, he headed towards the door. "I think we best give them a few minutes to sort things out; as a family."

"Tessa is our daughter. They aren't even married." The woman replied hotly, holding her ground firmly.

The Frenchman was, for once, taking the lead in the relationship. "For heaven's sake it's been 12 years, Eugenia. Just accept it."

"You can't seriously believe that this is going to…" Eugenia's voice drifted off as her husband led her out the door and down the hallway, leaving Duncan, Tessa and Richie to work things out for themselves.

Once again turning his attention to the duo left looming over his bed, Richie had no idea what on earth to expect from here on in.

* * *

As Duncan silently perched himself on the end of the teen's bed, Tessa slowly began pacing back and forth across the room. Watching both adults closely, the anticipation of who would break the heavy silence first was starting to weigh heavily on the teen. Fortunately, the silence didn't last all that long.

"I told you to stay here, Richie." Duncan addressed the teen in an uncharacteristically low tone.

Looking up at the Immortal staring down at him, apparently waiting for some kind of explanation, Richie found himself unsure of how to make amends for the latest form of disappointment he had inflicted on the man.


	29. Talking Through

"What made you come out, son?" The Immortal questioned, once again using that suspiciously low tone.

Both the foreign tone and unexpected use of the title 'son' motivated the teen to respond quickly. Unfortunately, that didn't provide him with much opportunity to come up with an appropriate response. Once again, he found himself actually spouting the truth. "I heard him out there."

Looking intensely at the teen, Tessa was more shocked to hear that response than the Immortal. She responded to it immediately. "Why on earth would you come out if you knew Lamont was there?"

"I just…I had to know where he was. I needed to see him." The teen replied.

Duncan was utterly speechless. Tessa, though, was not. "You had to see him? Why on earth would you want to see him?"

"I needed to see this end; to see him get caught." Richie attempted to explain his thinking.

Duncan finally had a response. "And what if he didn't get caught? What if he caught you instead?"

"I knew he couldn't get me." The boy answered flatly.

That response really peaked the couples' interests. Tessa replied first. "How could you know that, Richie? After the last few days, how could you possibly feel safe seeing him again; especially by yourself?"

"I wasn't by myself. There were cops and orderlies and all you guys around. I could hear it. Besides, dad was here. I knew he wouldn't let Lamont hurt me." The teen answered calmly; then looked pointedly at the Immortal.

Looking down at the injured teen, Duncan wasn't sure how best to respond. Sure, he had told the boy to stay put, but he couldn't honestly say he blamed Richie. If making his way to the door to watch his tormentor being apprehended gave the teen some closure, how could he deny him that? Exchanging a torn glance with Tessa, the Immortal gave a cautious smile before he replied. "Of course I wouldn't."

Maybe it wasn't the best response possible. Maybe it was. Tessa wasn't quite sure. She wasn't quite sure of anything anymore. This last week had completely shaken her perceptions of how her little family was supposed to work. Duncan was supposed to be the protector; but the Immortal had not only been unable to keep their family safe, he had also not been the one to save either her or Richie. And she was trying desperately to be a mother to their teenaged charge; but when true danger arose it was he who cared for and comforted her, not the other way around. Nothing was happening like it was supposed to and where things should go from here were far from clear.

* * *

"Alright, seriously, this is just stupid. I'm fine." Richie tossed aside the remote control, irritated at both it and the entire situation.

Duncan felt for the boy. He really did. He was far from persuaded by the argument, though. "Fine, huh?"

"Okay, so I'm not exactly 100." Richie wasn't a complete idiot. He knew that arguing he was 'just fine' with three broken ribs, a concussion, multiple contusions and bruises and two very large and conspicuous black eyes was not exactly going to fly. That didn't mean that he was willing to concede that he was fated to be bored stiff watching French TV in a sterile hospital room. "But I'm well enough to know that watching soap operas in a foreign language does not result therapeutic healing."

"Richie." Duncan had to laugh. The teen had a way of getting to the heart of the matter. "This is a political debate, not a soap opera. And no one told you to watch it; you picked it, remember? You could just turn it off you know."

Snatching up the remote once more, the teen impatiently turned the screen to black before turning his attention to the Immortal at his side. "My ribs are taped, my cuts are medicated, I have bandages on every conceivable part of my body and you said yourself that my medications are ready. Why can't we just go already?"

"Because you have a concussion and the hospital wants to monitor you overnight." Duncan told him patiently.

Richie wasn't feeling nearly as patient. He desperately wanted out of there. His need to forget about what had transpired over the past few days was overwhelming and being stuck in the stiff hospital bed with the regulation sheets and sterile smells was just too much of a reminder of what had happened to bear any longer. He needed out and at this point he would use whatever weapon he could to make that freedom a reality; even if it meant guilt-tripping the Scotsman to his left. "Can't you just watch me? You keep saying you want to take care of me. Why won't you now?"


End file.
